From Srinagar to Bhuj: Which are 15 Indian cities that Pakistan wanted to target?

A day after India launched missile strikes under Operation Sindoor on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Islamabad attempted to escalate tensions by targeting 15 Indian cities with drones and missiles.

Officials said the Pakistani military tried to carry out these strikes on the night of May 7. However, the Indian armed forces foiled these attempts using drones and missiles, and destroyed a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore, they said.

The move by Pakistan comes after PM Shehbaz Sharif vowed retaliation to India’s Operation Sindoor, saying, “Pakistan will take revenge. We will take this war to the end. My Pakistani people, for your safety, our army and our people—we will always be united. Pakistan is most affected by terrorism.”

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So, which Indian cities were on Pakistan’s target? How did India stop the attacks? And what has the Indian government said since? Here’s a breakdown of the situation so far.

Indian cities on Pakistan’s target

Between the night of May 7 and early May 8, Pakistan launched a wave of drones and missiles targeting military installations across Northern and Western India. The 15 targeted cities, all of which are of strategic importance to the military in the region, are as follows:

-Awantipura
-Srinagar
-Jammu
-Pathankot
-Amritsar
-Kapurthala
-Jalandhar
-Ludhiana
-Adampur
-Bhatinda
-Chandigarh
-Nal
-Phalodi
-Uttarlai
-Bhuj

Following Pakistan’s attack, India neutralised the threat using the Integrated Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (Grid and Air Defence systems), said the Ministry of Defence, adding that debris from the attack site gives strong evidence of Pakistan’s involvement.

“The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks,” the ministry said. “Today morning Indian armed forces targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan. Indian response has been in the same domain with the same intensity as Pakistan.”

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“It has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” it added.

At the same time, Pakistan stepped up its cross-border shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), using mortars and heavy artillery. The firing affected several areas in Jammu and Kashmir, including Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar and Rajouri.

The escalation has led to tragic consequences.

“Sixteen innocent lives have been lost, including three women and five children, due to Pakistani firing,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The Indian Army also confirmed the death of one of its soldiers during the shelling.

Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, 32, from Palwal district in Haryana, was stationed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district and died during intense cross-border fire by the Pakistani Army.

How did India thwart Pakistan’s bid?

To counter the aerial threat from Pakistan, India deployed its advanced S-400 air defence missile system , which played a key role in intercepting and neutralising incoming targets near the borders.

The S-400 Triumf, developed by Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau, is considered among the most sophisticated air defence systems globally. In India, it’s also referred to as the ‘Sudharshan Chakra’.

Capable of detecting incoming missiles from as far as 600 kilometres and intercepting threats within a 400-kilometre range, the S-400 can destroy a wide variety of aerial threats—including aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles—at varying altitudes.

India had signed a Rs 35,000 crore deal with Russia to procure five squadrons of the S-400. So far, three have been delivered and fully operationalised by the Indian Air Force.

These squadrons have been strategically deployed along the borders with Pakistan and China. The delivery of the remaining two has been delayed due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, sources told NDTV last year.

In addition to the S-400, India also used HARPY drones to take out Pakistani air defence radars. These drones are specifically designed for what’s known as the “suppression of enemy air defences” (SEAD).

Equipped with a high-explosive warhead, the HARPY can autonomously detect and destroy radar systems by homing in on their electromagnetic emissions. The drone is capable of flying deep-strike missions, day or night, and can stay airborne for up to nine hours.

‘India gave Pakistan a fortnight to act against terror’

The Indian government on Wednesday (May 7) said that the cross-border strikes on terror camps inside Pakistan were a necessary step after Pakistan failed to act against terror infrastructure, even as a fortnight passed following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told the media that India’s  Operation Sindoor  was launched after Pakistan continued to indulge in denials and allegations.

“You are all aware of the decisions that were announced on the 23rd of April. However, it was deemed essential that the perpetrators and planners of the 22nd April attack be brought to justice,” Misri said.

“Despite a fortnight having passed since the attacks, there has been no demonstrable step from Pakistan to take action against the terrorist infrastructure on its territory or on territory under its control,” he added.

Misri also said that India had credible intelligence inputs suggesting that Pakistan-based terrorists were planning further attacks. The May 7 strikes were, therefore, carried out as a pre-emptive measure to neutralise those threats.

With input from agencies