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Earlier in the day, defence sources said Pak’s Thursday attacks could have been ‘probing action’. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi confirmed it in media briefing. Here’s what the term means
Security personnel survey the metal debris found at an open field at Makhan Windi village, in Amritsar district of Punjab on Thursday. (PTI)
Thursday evening saw Pakistan launch Hamas-style artillery fire, drone, and missile attacks on multiple locations, all of which were repelled by India.
Earlier in the day, defence sources told News18 that Pakistan’s motive was not just to attack. What they carried out was possibly a ‘probing action’ on India’s air defence systems.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, in her media briefing in the evening, confirmed it. “Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations. The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…”
On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor or precision strikes at nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as payback for the April 22 Pahalgam attack which killed 26. In retaliation, Pakistan first shelled J&K’s Poonch, killing 16. Its bids to target military installations at 15 locations in India, too, were foiled, damaging their Air Defence system at Lahore.
On May 8 evening, Pakistan’s missiles and drones targeted Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan on Thursday evening. In response, India swarmed Sialkot, Lahore and Karachi with drones.
‘WEAK MUNITIONS’
“At least 40 or more places were targeted, but it could be mainly to probe where they would be caught and where they would get a free run. In a probing action, if a missile or drone returns, they figure that there is no detection system there. Where it is repelled, they know the system is in place. So when they actually plan something major, they can target the spots with no detection system,” sources said.
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“We repelled a lot of them as counter air defence systems were activated. Cross-border firing, too, happened, but we retaliated. The drones and missile were with no or very weak ammunition,” they said.
News18 has already reported how Pakistan had sent weak ammunitions on Thursday evening.
PROBING ACTION EXPLAINED
In army jargon, a probing action typically refers to a military operation designed to gather intelligence about the enemy’s strength, defences, and overall capabilities. It’s a method of testing the enemy’s readiness and potentially finding weaknesses before a larger engagement.
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- Probing actions aim to understand the enemy’s deployment, tactics, and vulnerabilities, which can inform future planning and operations.
- They can range from small reconnaissance patrols to larger, more aggressive reconnaissance-in-force operations, depending on the specific situation and the information needed.
- ALSO READ: Have Pakistani Terrorists Infiltrated Kashmir? Exclusive From Defence Sources
- Probing actions often involve sending small units to make contact with the enemy, observe their reactions, and gather intelligence about their defensive strength and vulnerabilities.
- The term ‘probing action’ is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘reconnaissance-in-force’, which refers to a type of reconnaissance where a larger unit is used to probe enemy defences and gather more in-depth intelligence.
- Probing actions are crucial for effective military planning and decision-making, as they provide valuable information about the enemy that can be used to develop strategies for future operations.
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