In the media briefing held today by Indian defence forces and MEA, the following was revealed:

Multiple violations of Indian airspace were reported along the entire western border, with an intent to target military infrastructure. The Pakistan military also resorted to firing heavy-caliber weapons along the international border and the Line of Control (LoC). Drone intrusions were attempted from Leh to Sir Creek at 36 locations, involving approximately 300 to 400 drones.

The Indian Armed Forces successfully brought down a number of these drones using both kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of these large-scale intrusions was to test India’s air defense (AD) systems and gather intelligence. A forensic examination of the drone debris is underway, and preliminary reports suggest that some of the drones are Asis Guards Songar drones of Turkish origin.

Later that night, an armed UAV from Pakistan attempted to target a military station but was detected and neutralized. In response to the Pakistani attack, armed Indian drones were launched at four air defense sites in Pakistan, with one of the drones successfully destroying an AD radar.

Pakistan also carried out artillery shelling across the Line of Control, using heavy-caliber artillery guns and armed drones at locations including Senger, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, Rajouri, Akhnoor, and Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. This resulted in some losses and injuries among Indian Army personnel. Pakistan’s Army also suffered major losses due to Indian retaliatory fire.

Additionally, Pakistan’s irresponsible behavior was once again evident. Despite launching an unprovoked drone and missile attack on May 7 at 8:30 PM, Pakistan did not close its civil airspace, deliberately using civil airliners as shields — fully aware that any attack on India would elicit a swift air defense response. This posed serious risks to unsuspecting airlines, including international flights.

During the high air defense alert in the Punjab sector, as observed, Indian airspace was completely cleared of civil air traffic following a declared closure. However, civil airliners continued to fly within Pakistani airspace. Among these, we highlighted an Airbus A320 operated by Flynas Aviation, which originated from Dammam at 17:50 hours and later landed in Lahore.

Throughout these provocations, the Indian Air Force demonstrated considerable restraint in its response, thereby ensuring the safety of international civil carriers.”

Specifications of the Turkish Songar drones used by pakistani forces

The Asisguard Songar is a Turkish-developed, low-altitude, quadrotor unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed for military and security operations. Below are key specifications based on available information:

• Type: Quadrotor UCAV
• Dimensions:
  • Width: 145 cm (rotor to rotor)
  • Height: 70 cm
• Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW): 45 kg
• Operational Range:
  • Up to 10 km (6.2 miles) for real-time image transmission
  • Mission radius of 3 km for some configurations
• Altitude:
  • Maximum 2,800 m (9,186 ft) above mean sea level
  • 400 m (1,312 ft) above ground level
• Flight Modes: Autonomous and manual, with features like:
  • Route planning
  • Autonomous return-to-base on low battery or data-link loss
  • In-flight mission changes
• Cameras:
  • Pilot camera with 10x zoom
  • Gun-mounted camera
  • Daylight and infrared (night vision) capabilities
  • Real-time video transmission and recording for post-mission analysis
• Navigation: GPS and GLONASS systems
• Weapon Systems:
  • Machine Gun:
    • 5.56x45mm NATO rounds, up to 200 rounds capacity
    • Automatic gun stabilizer (OASIS) with recoil damping
    • Adjustable burst mode (e.g., 15 rounds)
    • Barrel tilt: 0-60° vertical axis
    • Accuracy: Can hit a 15 cm (6 in) target at 200 m
  • Grenade Launcher (RDS40-MGL, developed with Repkon Defence):
    • 40mm six-barrel rotary launcher, 5.4 kg
    • Ammunition: 40x46mm (up to 400 m) and 40x53mm (up to 800 m