china PoK Awantipura afghanistan Rawalpindi Chakwal Gujranwala kozhikode l friday l may 09, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Interception Long-range surveillance radar 40N6E missile[3] 240 km Ludhiana 150 km 48N6DM(E3) missile 48N6M(E2) missile 48N6(E) missile 120 km 40 km 9M96M(E2) 9M96 missile Engagement radar Launch vehicle Engagement radar helps guide missiles towards target Uttarlai INDIA Bhuj Jaisalmer Bikaner Jodhpur Barmer INDIA REPELS F aya z W a ni , H a r p reet B a j w a , M aya nk S in g h @ Srinagar/ Chandigarh/New Delhi Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated on Thursday evening after Pakistani drone attacks were reported across parts of Jammu, Punjab and Rajasthan. The Indian air defence system responded swiftly, intercepting multiple drones, triggering air raid sirens and enforcing blackouts in border towns. As the tension ratcheted up in the evening, US secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and called for “immediate de-escalation”. He offered “support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,” US state department said. Jaishankar said India “will firmly counter any attempts at escalation”. The chain of events began with Pakistan launching missiles and kamikaze drones targeting the Jammu airport and the civilian areas around, which also houses the Indian Air Force station. All missiles and drones were neutralised. Soon after, explosions were reported in Punjab, followed by Pakistani shelling near Pathankot and Kupwara. Moments later, Pakistani drones were seen being intercepted over Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, with visible explosions and flashes lighting up the sky . The situation quickly escalated as civil administrations across northern India moved into action. Hoshiarpur in Punjab declared an immediate blackout after loud explosions were heard. “The blackout will continue till further orders,” said Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain, confirming that it was enforced following instructions from Air Force au- thorities. Amritsar, Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, and parts of Barmer in Rajasthan soon followed with similar blackout orders. Debris believed to be from missiles was recovered from Kumahi Devi village near Hoshiarpur’s Talwara, officials said. “Military stations of Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur in proximity to the International Boundary in J&K were targeted by Pakistan using missiles and drones. No losses. Threat neutralised by #IndianArmedForces as per SoP with kinetic & non-kinetic means,” the Army said. As many as eight missiles from Pakistan directed at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and Arnia across the bord e r w e r e neutralised. “More hostile drones were sighted at multiple places along western front and were being engaged by the air defence systems,” Army sources said. Earlier in the day, India had targeted Pakistani air defence systems, including one in Lahore, in response to overnight drone and missile attacks launched by Pakistan. These strikes came just a day after India carried out Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructures in Pakistan, following the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians. Meanwhile, in Gujarat’s Kachchh district, border villages plunged into darkness following blackouts. Blackouts were enforced across the Bhuj region amid anticipation of cross-border attacks. Security agencies remain on high alert, and civil defence protocols are being rolled out across multiple states bordering Pakistan as the military standoff continues to intensify . There were no immediate reports of any casualty or damage from the Pakistani attack. ABHRA Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile PM meets top officials, calls for emergency preparedness RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with top officials from various ministries to review national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination in light of the escalating conflict with Pakistan. According to sources, several key issues were discussed in the meeting, including strengthening of civil defence, combating misinformation and fake news, and securing critical infrastructure. Gates of two dams opened Himachal IPL match called off The gates of two dams in J&K – Salal hydro project in Reasi and Baglihar hydro project in Ramban – were opened on Thursday allowing flow of Chenab water to Pak. Chenab was among the rivers Pak got as part of the Indus Waters Treaty | P8 The IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday was called off midway following a blackout as Pakistani shelling escalated. The stadium was soon evacuated The Cabinet secretary senior , officials from the prime minister’s office, and secretaries from key ministries including defence, home affairs, external affairs, information & broadcasting, power, health, and telecommunications attended the meeting, sources said. The secretaries were directed to conduct a comprehensive review the operations of their respective ministries and to ensure the fool-proof functioning of essential systems, with particular emphasis on readiness, emergency response, and internal communication protocols. @Malappuram A 42-year-old woman from Malappuram has tested positive for Nipah, triggering concerns across the state. Health officials are on alert following the development, which comes nearly a year after the death of a 14-yearold boy from the same district. Officials from the health department said the native of Valanchery is in extremely critical condition and is undergoing intensive treatment at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna. This is the third consecutive year since 2023 that Nipah has been reported in Kerala. After the first-ever outbreak in 2018 in Kozhikode, the infection was reported in Kochi in 2019, in Kozhikode in 2021 and 2023, and in Malappuram in 2024. A total of 21 Nipah-related deaths have been recorded in the state so far. The officials said the woman had been under treatment for four days for high fever, persistent cough and acute breathing difficulty. Suspecting Nipah, the medical staff collected her samples, which were first tested at the Kozhikode Microbiology Lab and then sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, which confirmed the infection. Soon after the confirmation, the health department initiated an immediate response. Health Minister Veena George, who led a highlevel emergency meeting attended by the district collector and senior health department officials at the Malappuram collectorate on Thursday, told reporters that monoclonal antibody treatment has been initiated. She also said the area along 3-km radius in Ward 2 of Valanchery municipality will be declared a containment zone to prevent community trans● More on P4 mission.  M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi Abdul Rauf Azhar, Jaish-eMohammed founder Maulana Masood Azhar’s brother and the terror outfit’s operational head, was killed in India’s airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, officials said on Thursday . The slain terrorist was considered the mastermind of the IC-814 hijacking in 1999 and involved in the 2001 Parliament attack. Terming it major victory, officials said he was killed in the Indian strikes on the Bahawalpur terror hideout early on Wednesday . Masood Azhar acknowledged that 10 members of his family and four of his close associates were killed in India’s precision air strikes on JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur. Those killed included Masood Azhar’s sister and brother-in-law. “Now we have confirmation from our sources in Pakistan that Rauf was killed along with 10 of Masood’s family members and four close associates,” a senior intelligence official said. “Rauf Azhar’s role in orchestrating the IC-814 hijacking directly facilitated the release of Omar Saeed Sheikh, a key Al-Qaeda operative who went on to kidnap and murder Daniel Pearl, an American-Jewish journalist working with the Wall Street Journal,” the official added. ABHRA is a joint development between India’s DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries. It’s a state-of-the-art air defence weapon system, range 70 km, designed to neutralise aerial threats and drones. It is powered by a dual-pulse solid propulsion system AKASH: Mobile surface-to-air missile The Akash missile system can engage targets up to a range of 25 km. It is a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) designed to protect from air attacks. The Akash system has been showcased for its ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously at this range SPYDER air defence system: A workhorse This air defence system includes the Elta EL/M-2106 ATAR radar, which can control missile firing units up to 10 km. It also includes Python-5 infrared missiles of range up to 12 km and Derby radar-guided missiles up to 50 km IGLA-S: Russian portable air defence A Man-Portable Air Defence System that can hit low-flying aircraft, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, and UAVs within a 6 km range Pak to get firm response, Iran, Saudi told j aya nth j a c o b @ New Delhi External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that India will respond with a “very, very firm” hand to any military aggression from Pakistan, even as he emphasised New Delhi’s intent to avoid escalation. His remarks came amid a flurry of diplomatic engagements with Iranian and Saudi ministers as tensions mount between the neighbours following the terror attack in Pahalgam. In his opening remarks during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi Nipah returns, woman from Malappuram +ve E x p ress N e w s S er v i c e LeT commander Hafiz Abdul Rauf leads funeral prayers in Muridke | PTI ‘IC-814 hijacking mastermind Rauf Azhar killed’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting secretaries of various ministries | PTI THREAT NEUTRALISED Military stations of Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur in proximity to the International Boundary, in Jammu & Kashmir targeted by Pakistan using missiles and drones. No losses. Threat neutralised by #IndianArmedForces as per SoP with kinetic & non-kinetic means. India’s Air Defence SYSTEM PAKistan DRONE BLITZ Missile, drone attacks on Jammu airport neutralised; unmanned aerial vehicles trying to bomb parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and elsewhere shot; US urges immediate de-escalation Indian sites hit by Pakistan Pakistan sites hit by India Phalodi Umerkot’s Chhor ■ Jalandhar Kapurthala Karachi 200 km Command vehicle Lahore Bhatinda Sindh Operational range 400 km Pathankot Amritsar PA K I S TA N How S-400s neutralised Pak attacks The Air Force used the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system to obliterate Pakistan’s escalation bid Srinagar Jammu Attock CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the Pahalgam attack had forced India to retaliate. “You are visiting India at a time when we are responding to a particularly barbaric terrorist attack on April 22 in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This attack compelled us to respond on May 7 by striking at the cross-border terrorist infrastructure...However, if there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that it will be met with a very, very firm response,” he said. The Jaishankar speaks to US secretary of state External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday night spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and conveyed to him India will firmly counter any attempts by Pakistan to escalate the situation. “Spoke with US @ SecRubio this evening. Underlined India’s measured response. Will firmly counter any attempts at further escalation,” he said two ministers co-chaired the 20th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting. Araghchi had visited Pakistan on Monday. With Araghchi and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir who arrived here on an unannounced visit, Jaishankar spoke about cross-border linkages of the attack and India’s “calibrated and measured response,” sources said. “A good meeting with Adel Al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia this morning. Shared India’s perspective on countering terrorism,” said Jaishankar. ‘Sunny days’ for Congress in Kerala; Adoor Prakash new UDF convener K S S R E E J I T H @ T’Puram 1 st AMerican POpe Cardinal Robert Prevost waves from the balcony of the St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican after he was chosen the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday. He has taken the name Pope Leo XIV | AP | P9 EXPRESS READ CJI recommends impeachment of Justice Varma New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is learnt to have recommended to the Centre impeachment of Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma following his indictment in the cash row by an SC-appointed committee. The CJI wrote to President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi and shared the report of the committee. After much drama, the Congress central leadership has appointed three-time MLA Sunny Joseph as the party’s new state chief. Outgoing president K Sudhakaran, who had openly revolted against his removal, has been accommodated as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). The AICC has replaced UDF convener M M Hassan with Attingal MP Adoor Prakash. Three working presidents were also announced. MLAs PC Vishnunath and AP Anil Kumar and MP Shafi Parambil will re place Kodikkunnil Suresh, T N Prathapan and T Siddique. The name of the new president was announced in the evening through a press release issued by AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal. By noon, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Sunny Joseph New entrants Three-time Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph is KPCC president MP and outgoing KPCC president K Sudhakaran now permanent invitee to Congress Working Committee Former minister and Attingal MP Adoor Prakash replaces M M Hassan as UDF convener P C Vishnunadh, A P Anil Kumar and Shafi Parambil new working presidents. They replace Kodikunnil Suresh, T N Prathapan and T Siddique Gandhi and Venugopal contacted Sudhakaran and convinced him about the necessity to have a leadership change in the state Congress. The two top leaders reportedly assured Sudhakaran that the party still considers him one of its tallest leaders in the state, and his services will be needed further. The AICC leaders also called Sunny and conveyed the decision to him. He was asked to meet Sudhakaran and hold a joint press briefing. Sunny, a close confidant of Sudhakaran, is the party’s face against arch-rival CPM in Kannur. The Peravoor MLA’s appointment is also seen as a move by the AICC to pacify the veteran leader. The final decision was taken by Rahul and Kharge. Venugopal was not part of the decision-making, according to AICC sources. In the new reshuffle AICC has focused to maintain the communal balance. The backing of Catholic Church also played a decisive role in favour ● More on P4 of Sunny  .