IAF Launches Major Air Drill Near Pakistan Border Amid Rising Tensions

New Delhi – The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to conduct a large-scale operational exercise near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, as part of heightened military preparedness following last month’s deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.

The IAF has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the exercise, which will take place between 3:30 p.m. on May 7 and 9:30 p.m. on May 8, during which airspace over Rajasthan will be restricted to ensure safety and maintain operational integrity.

This surge in military activity comes in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 civilians lost their lives. The assault, attributed to The Resistance Front, a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has reignited tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Indian intelligence agencies claim to possess concrete evidence linking Pakistan’s “deep state” to the attack, exacerbating already strained diplomatic ties.

In response, the government has activated massive civil defence drills across nearly 300 strategic sites nationwide. These include key infrastructure hubs such as Delhi, nuclear facilities, oil refineries, hydroelectric dams, and military installations. Officials say this is the most extensive civil defence initiative undertaken since the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Sources indicate that regions designated as “civil defence districts” — areas with critical infrastructure or military presence — are on high alert for any possible escalation.

Top-level security meetings have been convened in recent days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly held multiple briefings with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

According to defence sources, the Prime Minister has granted the military “complete operational freedom” to plan and execute a calibrated response to the terror strike.

With skies set to thunder over Rajasthan, India appears to be sending a clear message: readiness, resilience, and resolve in the face of terror.