On Thursday, the Indian Navy announced that its newest Indian-made guided missile destroyer, INS Surat, successfully shot down a fast and low-flying missile target just above the sea surface. This achievement marks another step forward in strengthening India’s defence capabilities.

The missile test took place shortly after a tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. Pakistan has issued a maritime warning, saying it will conduct a surface-to-surface missile test from its Karachi coast, within its Exclusive Economic Zone, between April 24 and 25. In response, Indian defence sources told news agency ANI that all relevant agencies are closely monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, the terror attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam is one of the deadliest incidents in the area since the Pulwama bombing in 2019. The Resistance Front (TRF), which is a proxy group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has reportedly taken responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. India has responded firmly to Pakistan by taking several actions. These include halting the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the integrated check post at Attari, ending the SAARC visa exemptions, and cancelling the visas previously given to Pakistani citizens.

Furthermore, Pakistani nationals living in India under the Special Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) have been ordered to leave the country within 48 hours.