china PoK Awantipura afghanistan Rawalpindi Chakwal Gujranwala visakhapatnam l friday l may 09, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Interception The Air Force used the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system to obliterate Pakistan’s escalation bid Long-range surveillance radar 400 km 40N6E missile[3] 240 km 200 km 150 km 48N6DM(E3) missile 48N6M(E2) missile 48N6(E) missile Command vehicle 120 km 9M96M(E2) Engagement radar Sindh Karachi 40 km 9M96 missile Launch vehicle Lahore Jaisalmer Phalodi Bikaner Jodhpur Uttarlai Barmer Umerkot’s Chhor Operational range Pathankot Amritsar Bhatinda PA K I S T A N How S-400s neutralised the enemy Srinagar Jammu Attock Engagement radar helps guide missiles towards target Ludhiana Kapurthala Bhuj Map not to scale @ 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. India’s armed forces followed the principle of proportionate response and negated Pakistan’s bid to escalate the conflict. Intense Pakistan shelling from across the border drew a similar response from India. As the tension ratcheted up in the e ve n i n g , U S s e c re t a ry 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, which also houses the Indian Air Force station, and the civilian areas around it. 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 Pun- express read Govt cautions fake social media narrative used by Pak handles New Delhi: The Government on Thursday cautioned citizens against a spate of false narratives and claims being circulated over social media by Pakistan. A day after Operation Sindoor, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), urged individuals to stay vigilant and report suspicious and misleading content, specifically those related to the Indian Armed Forces | P7 ‘Intended objectives obtained, India has no interest in escalation’ New Delhi: Hours before India launched an attack on air defence systems in Lahore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told an allparty meeting on Thursday that the ‘intended objectives have been obtained by Operation Sindoor’ and India has no interest in further escalation. However, he asserted that in the event of any misadventure by Pakistan, India will give a befitting reply | P7 jab 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 authorities. 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 & nonkinetic means,” the Army said. The Centre attributed the success to the jointness of the armed forces. Besides, eight missiles from Pakistan directed at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and Arnia were neutralised. Similarly, a bid to attack two ammunition depots in Jalandhar, drone attacks at the Pathankot airbase and the Shahpur Kandi dam were thwarted in Punjab. 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. In Gujarat’s Kachchh, border villages plunged into darkness following blackouts. Security agencies remained on high alert, and civil defence protocols were rolled out across states bordering Pakistan. PM meets top officials, calls for emergency preparedness RAJ E SH K U M AR THAK U R @ 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. Pakistan sites hit by India THREAT NEUTRALISED Army said 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 ABHRA Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile Terrorists killed by Indian strikes being given state funeral in Pakistan ‘IC-814 hijacking mastermind Rauf Azhar killed’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting secretaries of various ministries | PTI Indian sites hit by Pakistan India’s Air Defence SYSTEM PAKistan DRONE BLITZ F aya z W a n i , H a r p r ee t B a j w a , M aya n k S i n g h ■ Jalandhar INDIA REPELS Swarms of drones and missiles targeting Jammu airport neutralised; bid to bomb parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and J&K blocked; Indian follows principle of proportionate response 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 ■ M U K E SH RA N JA 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 Rubio calls for immediate de-escalation j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi AS tensions flare between India and Pakistan, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday called for immediate deescalation during a phone conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. He also spoke to his counterpart in Pakistan. “The Secretary emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation. He expressed US support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,” said a statement. Rubio also offered condolences for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. “The Secretary reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism.” Responding to the outreach, Jaishankar conveyed India’s firm but restrained approach. “Deeply appreciate US commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism. Un- Will respond with firm hand, India tells Saudi Arabia, Iran 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 diplomatic engagements with Iranian and Saudi ministers derlined India’s targeted and measured response to crossborder terrorism. Will firmly counter any attempts at escalation,” he said on X. The diplomatic exchange comes amid a sharp military build-up in the region, following India’s Operation Sindoor—a series of precision strikes on terror infrastructure inside Pakistan. In retaliation, Pakistan attempted drone and missile attacks, which were intercepted by Indian air defences. With both countries on high alert, Washington has urged direct communication to avoid further escalation. ‘Amend AP Act to make Amaravati as capital’ AP MP’s sister among 6 S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada The State Cabinet meeting, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, approved Amaravati as the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. A resolution naming Amaravati as the capital of the residual state of Andhra Pradesh will be sent to the Centre to amend the AP State Reorganisation Act. Sections 2 and 5 of the AP State Reorganisation Act mention that Hyderabad would serve as the joint capital for ten years following the State bifurcation. After this period, Hyderabad would become the capital of Telangana, and the newly constructed capital by Andhra Pradesh would become its own. However, the Act did not specify the name of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital. Therefore, the Cabinet has decided to send a resolution to the Centre to officially include Amaravati as the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. Similar to the Greater Hy- ‘AP Act didn’t specify name of state capital’ The State Reorganisation Act did not specify the name of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital after the state’s bifurcation. Therefore, the Cabinet has decided to send a resolution to the Centre to amend the Act to officially include Amaravati as the capital city of the Andhra Pradesh State derabad Municipal Corporation, the area governed by the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) will form part of Amaravati. Disclosing details of the Cabinet meeting to mediapersons, Minister for Information and P u bl i c Re l at i o n s Ko l u s u Parthasarathy stated that the people of Andhra Pradesh had no clarity regarding their capital for the past five years due to the ‘three capitals’ theory proposed by the previous government. The current coalition government has now decided to seek statutory approval for Amaravati as the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. The Cabinet expressed solidarity with Operation Sindoor, led by PM Narendra Modi against Pakistan, and commended the strength and valour demonstrated by the Army during the operation. The Cabinet approved a proposal authorizing the Commissioner of the AP Capital Region D e v e l o p m e n t Au t h o r i t y (APCRDA) to approve short tenders for four works worth `1,732.306 crores, award contracts to L1 bidders, and imple- ment decisions approved by the APCRDA Authority through Re s o l u t i o n s 5 2 9 / 2 0 2 5 t o 532/2025. The Cabinet also authorized the Chairperson and Managing Director of the Amaravati Development Corporation Limited, Vijayawada, to approve L1 bids for two packages: (a) Package XXXXI - E15 Road extension up to Old National Highway Mangalagiri (` 72.79 crores), (b) Package XXXXII E13 Road extension up to National Highway-16 (` 400.56 crores). The approval includes issuing work orders to L1 bidders and implementing proposal through APCRDA Authority Resolution No.536/2025. The Cabinet approved an administrative sanction proposal for ` 560.57 crore for Package XXXXIII under the Amaravati Capital Development Program funded by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The work includes Design, Build and Operate (DBO) method with additional supplementary works and maintenance.  P4 killed in chopper crash E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada TDP Lok Sabha member from Anantapur, G Lakshminarayana, confirmed that his sister, M Vedavati, was among the six killed in a helicopter crash in Uttarakhand on Thursday Her . husband, M Bhaskar, survived but sustained serious injuries. The private helicopter, carrying seven passengers en route to Gangotri temple, crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district at approximately 8:45 am, killing six, including the pilot, according to officials. Vedavati, from Guntakal, was travelling with her husband as part of the Char Dham Yatra, having begun their pilgrimage to Uttarakhand’s sacred sites on Sunday Bhaskar . suffered fractures to his legs and ribs in the crash and is receiving treatment at AIIMS, Rishikesh, where his condition is reported as stable. Following the incident, Anantapur MP Ambika Lakshminarayana and his brother Badri travelled to Dehradun, but their flight was diverted to Delhi due to adverse weather conditions. Minister for Tourism Kandula Durgesh expressed profound sorrow over Vedavati’s death.