Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 6: In a significant escalation of military preparedness, India has announced a large-scale air exercise along the southern section of the India-Pakistan border, scheduled for May 7–8, amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct the drills in Rajasthan, with a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued restricting airspace during the operation — from 3:30 p.m. on May 7 to 9:30 p.m. on May 8. The exercise, while presented as a routine preparedness measure, follows closely on the heels of a brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed.

The government has attributed the massacre to The Resistance Front (TRF) — a known proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Intelligence inputs reportedly point to the involvement of Pakistan’s "deep state", causing further diplomatic strain.

In response:
• India has initiated civil defence drills at nearly 300 strategic sites across the country, including:
o Delhi
o Military bases
o Oil refineries
o Hydroelectric and nuclear facilities

This is the most extensive national readiness campaign since the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

• Civil defence districts — areas with critical infrastructure or defence assets — are on high alert for potential escalation.

Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi has chaired a series of high-level security meetings with:

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
• NSA Ajit Doval
• CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan
• Service chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force

According to top sources, the Prime Minister has given the military "complete freedom" to prepare and execute an armed response to the Pahalgam massacre, intensifying speculation about possible retaliatory action.

This move signals India’s resolve to hold perpetrators accountable while maintaining operational secrecy and strategic deterrence along the western frontier.