Indian Air Defence Intercepts Delhi-Bound Pakistani Ballistic Missile
Indian air defence systems successfully intercepted and neutralized a Pakistani Fatah-II hypersonic ballistic missile late Friday night, May 9th, over Sirsa in Haryana, according to official reports. The missile was allegedly en route to New Delhi. This critical interception occurred during a significant escalation involving widespread drone and missile attacks launched by Pakistan against multiple locations across India.
Delhi-Bound Pakistani Missile Neutralized Over Haryana
Indian radar systems detected the hostile ballistic missile launched from Pakistan late Friday. Air defence units reacted swiftly, engaging and destroying the Fatah-II missile – a guided artillery rocket with a reported range of 450 km and advanced precision-strike capabilities – near Sirsa, approximately 220 km from the national capital. Residents in Sirsa reported witnessing a bright red explosion in the sky around midnight, with debris later discovered in surrounding areas. Sources suggest one of India's advanced air defence systems, potentially the S-400, indigenous Akash NG, or Israel-origin MR-SAM, was responsible for the successful interception.
Interception amidst Broader Cross-Border Attacks
This missile engagement was part of a larger coordinated military operation by Pakistan, codenamed "Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos," which saw drones and missiles targeting an estimated 26 locations across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. While Indian air defences successfully intercepted most incoming threats, some Pakistani attacks reportedly caused casualties, including five fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir due to artillery shelling and three injuries in Ferozepur, Punjab, from a crashed armed drone.
In response to this widespread aggression, India launched counterstrikes on Saturday morning, May 10th, targeting three Pakistani airbases—Rawalpindi (Nur Khan), Shorkot (Rafiqi), and Chakwal (Murid)—along with drone launch pads and the Chaklala air defence system.
The interception of the Fatah-II ballistic missile over Sirsa shows the capability of India's multi-layered air defence network during cross-border hostilities. This defensive action, taken amidst a broad offensive by Pakistan, was followed by Indian counter-measures targeting military installations in Pakistan.
