Pakistan : Operation Bunyan al-Marsus
Tensions escalated sharply on Saturday morning as Pakistan launched a series of drone and missile attacks targeting India. According to Indian defence officials, the majority of these aerial threats were successfully intercepted by India’s defence systems. These aggressive moves are believed to be part of Pakistan’s recently initiated military campaign, dubbed ‘Operation Bunyan al-Marsus’.
The flare-up follows Indian airstrikes on three Pakistani airbases—Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Murid in Chakwal, and Rafiqui in Jhang—carried out late Friday night into early Saturday. India’s preemptive strikes were reportedly a response to widespread drone incursions by Pakistan, with hostile UAVs detected at 26 different locations across the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Pakistan : What does Operation Bunyan al-Marsus mean?
The name of Operation Bunyan al-Marsus has been picked from a verse in the Quran. According to a report by the New York Times, it means “a firm and compact structure”.
An Al Jazeera report said that ‘Bunyan Marsoos’ is an Arabic phrase which directly translates to “a structure made of lead”. The report also added that the verse from which the name has been picked reads, “Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.”
India-Pak military conflict escalates
The military conflict between India and Pakistan escalated on Saturday morning after several cities in Jammu and Kashmir woke up to loud explosions. The Pakistan shelling also led to some casualties.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Rajouri’s additional district development commissioner (ADDC), Raj Kumar Thappa, was killed after his home was hit Pakistan’ shelling early Saturday morning. The border district in Jammu and Kashmir is reportedly under full-scale attack, with loud explosions heard in multiple parts since dawn.
Other cities such as Jammu, Srinagar, and Udhampur also heard loud explosions this morning as Pakistan continues to shell border cities in India. The Indian Armed Forces are promptly reacting and engaging all aerial threats using counter-drone systems.
In a sharp escalation of hostilities, Pakistan launched a wave of drone and missile attacks targeting Indian territory early Saturday morning. According to official sources from the Indian armed forces, most of these threats were successfully neutralized by India’s advanced air defence systems. The strikes are reportedly part of Islamabad’s newly announced military campaign, titled ‘Operation Bunyan al-Marsus’, signaling a broader strategic shift in Pakistan’s cross-border operations.
The escalation follows India’s overnight air raids on three Pakistani airbases—Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal), and Rafiqui (Jhang)—conducted between Friday night and early Saturday. These high-precision airstrikes were reportedly carried out in retaliation to aggressive Pakistani drone activity observed the previous night.
Indian defence officials confirmed that drones from Pakistan were sighted at 26 separate locations across the International Border and Line of Control (LoC), spanning multiple Indian states including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Affected locations included Baramulla, Srinagar, Nagrota, Jammu, Pathankot, Ferozpur, Fazilka, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, and others.
Additionally, cross-border artillery exchanges were reported along the LoC throughout Friday night. Strikes were particularly intense in sectors such as Rajouri, Poonch, Surankote, and Nowshera, heightening regional alarm.
The latest military maneuvers appear to be part of a broader pattern of retaliatory action following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian tourists. Indian forces responded earlier this week with targeted strikes on nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), intensifying the already volatile situation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
As tensions escalate, both sides remain on high alert. India’s Ministry of Defence reiterated its commitment to safeguard national sovereignty and respond firmly to any cross-border aggression. Meanwhile, concerns grow internationally over the potential for further conflict if diplomatic channels fail to de-escalate the current crisis.
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