India Denies Pakistan’s Claim of Damaging S-400 Defense System, Labels It ‘Malicious Misinformation’

India Denies Pakistan Claim: After Pakistan launched drone strikes on multiple Indian cities, India on Saturday (9 May) said that it launched retaliatory strikes on multiple Pakistani military installations.

"Pakistani army is continuously attacking the western borders; it has used drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter jets to attack India's military sites," Indian Army's Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said at a joint press briefing on Operation Sindoor by the government.

"India neutralised many threats, but Pakistan tried to infiltrate via Air at more than 26 places, and they damaged our equipment and personnel at air force bases in Udhampur, Bhuj, Pathankot, Bathinda. They used high-speed missiles at 1.4 am to target Punjab's air base. They even attacked health facilities and schools...," she added.

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Giving details about India's response to Pakistani attacks, Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said, "In a swift and calibrated response, Indian armed forces carried out a precision strike only at identified military targets. These included technical infrastructure, command and control centre, radar sites and weapon storage areas".

"Pakistan military targets at Rafiqi, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukoor and Chuniya were engaged using air-launched precision weapons from our fighter aircraft," she added.

Vikram Misri further called out Pakistan’s lies and propaganda factory and stated that the state machinery was involved in peddling a fake narrative and also urged everyone to not pay heed to it.

As part of its malicious misinformation campaign, Pakistan claimed to have destroyed an Indian S-400 system and airfields in Sirsa and Surat.

“All these are brazen lies and part of its propaganda war. India unequivocally rejects these false claims being spread by Pakistan,” they said.

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"Pakistan has also attempted to execute a continued malicious misinformation campaign, with claims of destruction of the Indian S-400 system, destruction of airfields at Surat and Sirsa... India unequivocally rejects these false claims being spread by Pakistan," Singh added.

Slamming Pakistan military for their false claims regarding Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "There is this yet again completely ludicrous claim that Indian mailers have hit Afghanistan totally frivolous allegation and I only want to point out that Afghan people don't need to be reminded about which country it is that has on multiple occasions in just the last one and a half years targeted civilian populations and civilian infrastructure in Afghanistan".

In the briefing, the government said that the Pakistani military is trying to escalate the situation as they're being moved to forward areas to make the ongoing conflict more volatile.

The armed forces have responded appropriately, the government added.

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