Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Forces gave a joint special briefing on Operation Sindoor.

The briefing was headed by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said 300-400 drones were used by Pakistan to target India in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.

“Pakistan tried to target military bases and violated ceasefire many times. Pakistan targeted 36 locations in the north. They used Turkey-made drones,” Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said. 

“The Indian forces shot done the Pakistani drones. The drones and its debris are being analysed,” she added.

During the joint briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “Pakistan did not close its airspace and used civilian air traffic as a shield. Pakistani airlines were seen flying over Karachi and Lahore. There were heavy losses to the Pakistani army as India retaliated.”

Vyomika Singh also said that the non closing of Pakistan airspace poses a danger to unsuspecting civil airliners, including international flights flying near the IB between India and Pakistan.

“The screenshot we showed displays the data from the Flight Radar 24 application during a high air defence alert situation in the Punjab sector. As you can see, the airspace on the Indian side is completely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, civil airlines continue to fly the route between Karachi and Lahore,” she added.

She also said that the Indian Air Force demonstrated considerable restraint in its response, ensuring the safety of international civil carriers.