Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: India has accused Pakistan of using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response.
“This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners, including the international flights, which were flying near the international border between India and Pakistan,” Colonel Sofia Qureshi said in a regular media briefing on Friday. “The airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying the air route between Karachi and Lahore.”
India has said that its armed drones attacked four air defence sites in Pakistan and destroyed an AD Radar. Indian officials say the attack was launched in response to the Pakistani attack. “On the intervening night of May 8 and 9, the Pakistani military carried out multiple violations of Indian airspace along the entire western border with the intent to target military infrastructure. Pakistan military also resorted to firing of heavy-caliber weapons along the Line of Control,” Qureshi said. “Along the International Border and Line of Control, drone intrusions were attempted from Leh to Sir Creek at 36 locations with approximately 300 to 400 drones. Indian Armed Forces brought down a number of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means.”
According to Indian officials, Pakistan also carried out artillery shelling across the Line of Control using heavy-caliber artillery guns and armed drones at Tangdhar, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, Rajouri, Akhnoor and Udhampur in J&K area, which resulted in some losses and injuries to Indian Army personnel. Pakistan Army also suffered major losses in Indian retaliatory fire, they added.
