The Indian Army on Monday confirmed that the Golden Temple in Amritsar was one of the intended targets of a large-scale drone and missile attack launched by Pakistan on May 8, in retaliation against India’s strikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and PoK. Thanks to prior intelligence and alert air defence, the holy shrine remained completely unharmed.

Major General Kartik C. Seshadri, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 15 Infantry Division, told ANI that the Army had anticipated such an attack, particularly given Pakistan’s history of targeting both military and civilian infrastructure when legitimate military targets are absent.

“Knowing that the Pakistani Army lacks legitimate targets, we expected them to focus on Indian military installations and civilian areas, including religious sites. Among these, the Golden Temple stood out as a prominent target,” he said.

To counter this threat, the Army deployed additional modern air defence systems specifically to protect the shrine, creating what he described as a “holistic air defence umbrella.”

In the early hours of May 8, Pakistan launched a coordinated aerial attack involving unmanned drones and long-range missiles. However, the Indian Army’s air defence units, already on high alert, successfully intercepted and destroyed all incoming threats aimed at the Golden Temple.

“Our brave and vigilant Army Air Defence gunners thwarted Pakistan’s malicious plans. Not a single drone or missile got through, and not even a scratch was inflicted on our holy Golden Temple,” Major General Seshadri emphasized.