India destroys Pakistani air defense systems and threatens a "decisive" response to any attack.

In a new escalation of tension between the two nuclear neighbors, India announced today, Thursday, May 8, the destruction of Pakistani air defense systems at several locations in response to what it described as attempts to target its territories using "drones and missiles."

A statement from the Indian Ministry of Defense stated: "Pakistan attempted to target a number of military objectives... using drones and missiles," confirming that these attempts "were thwarted" by its air defenses.

The ministry added: "This morning, the Indian armed forces targeted radars and air defense systems in various parts of Pakistan," including the Lahore region in the north of the country.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar warned that his country would respond forcefully to any possible Pakistani attack, saying during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi: "Our response was specific and deliberate. Escalation is not our intention... but in case of any military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that we will respond with extreme firmness," as reported by Agence France-Presse.

In a related context, Indian government sources reported the killing of 13 civilians due to Pakistani artillery shelling along the "Line of Control" separating the two countries, after days of intense exchanges that resulted in 31 Pakistani and 15 Indian fatalities, in the fiercest confrontation between the two sides in about two decades.