Pakistan targeted Golden Temple after India struck terror camps: Army
What's the story
Pakistan attempted to target the Golden Temple in Amritsar with drones and missiles on the intervening night of May 7-8, following India's strikes on nine terror camps, the Indian Army has stated. Major General Kartik C Seshadri, General Officer Commanding of the 15th Infantry Division, confirmed that all incoming threats were intercepted by Indian Army air defense gunners. Seshadri said the attack was anticipated, as Pakistan had no legitimate military targets and was expected to strike civilian and religious sites.
Defense preparedness
Attack on Golden Temple anticipated, says Major General
He said, "Knowing that the Pakistan Army does not have any legitimate targets, we anticipated that they will target Indian military installations, civilian targets including religious places." The Golden Temple was identified as a prominent target, and as such, modern air defense assets were mobilized to give a holistic air defense umbrella cover to the Golden Temple, he added.
Attack details
Pakistan's large-scale air assault thwarted
"On 8th May early morning, in the hours of darkness, Pakistan carried out a massive air assault with unmanned aerial weapons, primarily drones and long-range missiles," he said. He added, "We were fully prepared since we had anticipated this, and our braveheart and alert army air defense gunners thwarted Pakistan Army's nefarious designs and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple."
Twitter Post
'Didn't allow even a scratch on Golden Temple'
#WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: Major General Kartik C Seshadri, GOC, 15 Infantry Division says "...Knowing that Pak Army does not have any legitimate targets, we anticipated that they will target Indian military installations, civilian targets including religious places. Of these,… https://t.co/y9gECbSao1 pic.twitter.com/5X8Gwi5RRW
— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2025
Defense demonstration
Indian Army showcases air defense systems
The Army also demonstrated how its air defense systems, including the AKASH missile system and L-70 Air Defense Guns, successfully intercepted and neutralized incoming threats on Monday. The attacks on Indian cities came after India's Operation Sindoor, a military strike on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Operation Sindoor was launched in response to a terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam. Seshadri said many places in Pakistan were targeted with "absolute precision" during this operation.
Operation response
Operation Sindoor launched after terrorist attack
"Of these (nine) targets, Muridke, which is in proximity to Lahore, houses the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba headquarters and also the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters at Bahawalpur, which were struck with absolute precision," he said. He clarified that no Pakistani military or civilian infrastructure was intentionally targeted during the operation.