Explosions over Srinagar: India destroys Pakistani fighter jets in air defence blitz

Why Did India Shoot Down Two Pakistani Fighter Jets Over Srinagar?

On the morning of May 10, 2025, the Indian Air Defence successfully intercepted and brought down two Pakistani fighter jets as they attempted to breach Indian airspace near Srinagar. The aircraft were engaged and neutralised on the outskirts of the city using India‘s indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile system. The incident marked a sharp escalation in military engagement between India and Pakistan amid already strained bilateral ties following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, including those of 25 Indian nationals and one foreign tourist.

This latest air incursion follows Pakistan’s increasing use of airpower and missile systems in response to India’s recent counter-terror operations targeting launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC). While the Indian Ministry of Defence has not yet released detailed footage of the downing, top defence officials have confirmed that the Akash air defence units were operating in active combat mode after a high-alert status was declared across Jammu and Kashmir in anticipation of potential retaliatory moves.

The downed jets reportedly crashed in heavily forested terrain around the outer periphery of Srinagar, prompting immediate search and reconnaissance operations. Indian ground forces and local police units have launched a hunt to locate the ejected pilots, who are believed to have parachuted into either Indian or contested territory. No official statement has yet been made by the Pakistani military regarding the status or mission of the aircraft involved.

What Sparked the Sudden Escalation Between India and Pakistan?

The airstrike incident comes amid an intensifying series of retaliatory military actions and heightened alertness across northern India. The Pahalgam terror attack served as the immediate flashpoint in a region already fraught with insurgency and border tensions. India, in response to credible intelligence inputs, carried out pre-emptive strikes on terror launchpads located across the Pakistani-controlled side of the LoC, specifically targeting infrastructure believed to have been used by groups responsible for the April 22 massacre.

Following these strikes, Pakistan initiated a widespread retaliatory offensive, launching a series of short-range Fattah-1 ballistic missiles aimed at Indian urban centres, including Jammu, Srinagar, Amritsar, Pathankot, Udhampur, New Delhi, Jalandhar, and Sirsa. While the missile barrage was an unprecedented act of escalation, India’s air defence architecture, including the Akash, S-400, and indigenous radar tracking networks, effectively neutralised all incoming threats.

Several defence analysts interpret Pakistan’s use of the Fattah-1 as both a signal of desperation and a test of India’s multi-layered missile shield. Meanwhile, the Indian government has labelled the missile strikes a “grave provocation” and confirmed that contingency plans for deeper strategic retaliation are being actively reviewed.

What Is the Fattah-1 Missile and Why Is It Significant in This Conflict?

The Fattah-1 is a hypersonic ballistic missile, originally developed by Iran and now reportedly deployed by Pakistan in a limited tactical capacity. Characterised by high manoeuvrability and the ability to re-enter the atmosphere at unpredictable angles, the Fattah-1 presents a significant challenge to conventional missile defence systems.

Reports from international defence journals have previously indicated that Pakistan sought to diversify its missile capabilities by importing or reverse-engineering missile technologies from Iran and North Korea. The Fattah-1’s deployment marks a rare case of a non-nuclear hypersonic missile being used in an active South Asian conflict zone. Iranian sources claim the missile can evade even the most advanced tracking systems and travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, although Indian interception success in this case indicates potential overstatements about its real-world effectiveness.

Despite its capabilities, all Fattah-1 launches aimed at Indian cities were successfully intercepted, reaffirming the credibility of India’s domestic and Russian-acquired missile defence grid. This engagement has been described by senior Indian defence officials as a “watershed moment” in demonstrating the country’s preparedness for high-speed, precision-strike scenarios in real-time combat.

How Has the Conflict Affected Civilian Regions Like Rajouri?

While much of the global attention has focused on the aerial exchanges and cross-border missile strikes, ground-level hostilities have continued unabated in border districts like Rajouri. On May 10, Pakistani artillery shelling directly struck a civilian residence in Rajouri district, resulting in the deaths of two individuals, including a senior administrative official of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.

The deceased officer, Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thappa, was actively involved in governance coordination and had reportedly attended a high-level video conference chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister only a day before his death. The targeted shelling of his home has drawn strong condemnation from across the political spectrum.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his grief on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the loss was “a terrible blow to civil service continuity during a moment of crisis” and highlighting the indiscriminate nature of Pakistan’s escalating artillery tactics. Indian authorities have responded by evacuating sensitive government personnel from vulnerable districts and reinforcing civil bunkers and shelters in border areas.

What Are the Broader Military and Diplomatic Implications of This Air Engagement?

The shooting down of two Pakistani fighter jets over Indian airspace marks one of the most direct aerial confrontations between the two countries since the Balakot airstrikes and the 2019 dogfight following the Pulwama terror attack. Defence strategists in New Delhi now suggest that India may escalate its operational posture by formally declaring a no-fly zone over specific LoC-adjacent air corridors and enforcing air interdictions.

Internationally, India has begun briefing key strategic partners—including the United States, France, and Russia—about the provocations and ongoing retaliations. It is understood that diplomatic missions in New Delhi have been placed on security advisory alert, with several foreign embassies issuing travel warnings for northern Indian states.

Meanwhile, domestic sentiment within India has hardened in favour of a robust military response. Analysts have warned, however, that while India’s recent responses have been tactically successful, continued engagement at this intensity risks unintended miscalculations, especially given both nations’ nuclear capabilities. Calls for third-party mediation have been voiced by regional stakeholders such as China and the Gulf countries, though India has maintained that the issue remains a bilateral matter tied to Pakistan’s persistent use of terrorism as state policy.

How Are Indian Defence Forces Responding and What Comes Next?

As of the latest updates, India’s armed forces remain on full operational alert across all northern and western commands. Air defence units continue to track aerial threats while ground forces have fortified key civilian centres and infrastructure. Simultaneously, Indian Navy units in the Arabian Sea have elevated their deployment levels amid potential risk of maritime provocations.

Search operations to locate the Pakistani pilots continue near Srinagar, with drone surveillance and army patrols scouring the terrain. Intelligence agencies are also on alert for possible infiltration attempts along mountainous routes, typically exploited by Pakistan-based militant groups following such escalations.

In parallel, backchannel diplomatic efforts are reportedly underway through interlocutors in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, both of whom have previously facilitated de-escalation talks between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

India’s ability to neutralise high-speed aerial and missile threats in this instance is being viewed as a testament to its maturing defence capabilities. However, the tragic loss of civilian life and the deepening hostility signal a dangerous new phase in South Asian geopolitics, one where conventional and hybrid warfare tactics now operate in tandem. The coming days are expected to test both India’s military restraint and its political resolve amid growing domestic and international scrutiny.