New Delhi: The Indian government has alleged that Pakistan deliberately kept its airspace open to civilian aircraft on Thursday while covertly deploying Turkish-origin drones to strike targets across northern India. In an official briefing held this evening, officials accused Islamabad of using civilian air traffic as a cover for its aerial offensive.

According to Indian authorities, Pakistan allowed routine commercial flights to continue through its skies, thereby using them as human shields while launching hundreds of drones toward Indian territory. Government sources stated that between 300 to 400 drones were directed at civilian locations, military sites, and religious landmarks.

Despite these large-scale intrusions, India's air defence systems were activated swiftly and managed to intercept and neutralize the aerial threats. However, not all damage was avoided—heavy shelling from Pakistan struck a residence in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, killing two school students who were at home at the time.

Flight-tracking platforms continued to show civilian aircraft flying over Pakistan's airspace as late as Friday evening, while Indian skies remained free of such traffic—an indication, Indian officials suggest, of deliberate risk masking by Pakistan.

Addressing reporters, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri condemned the strikes, particularly noting the targeting of religious and educational institutions. “Attacks on temples, gurdwaras, and convent schools reflect a new depth of hostility,” he remarked, calling the actions an egregious violation of both humanitarian norms and international conduct.

Source: News Agencies