The Pakistani Army captured and destroyed 77 Israeli made up here, sent by India to target civilian and military installations, security sources said Friday.

The drones were captured by Wednesday night, with another 48 shot down overnight and into Thursday, they say.

On the line of control (LOC), said security sources, five civilian martyred and seven others were wounded in unprovoked Indian shelling in residential areas.

The peeling targeted Hajera, Forward Kahuta and Khuiratta areas using heavy artillery, causing civilian losses and structural damage, they say.

Indian forces use heavy artillery to target civilian populations along LOC, according to security sources. The peeling has led to a strong and immediate reaction from the Pakistani army, added it.

According to security sources, Indian troops also raised a white flag near the Dharamsal 2 post opposite the battalion sector after sustaining retirement of the Pakistan army.

Pakistani Army officials emphasized that any aggression along Loc will be met with a quick and effective response.

Tensions between India and Pakistan are sharply escalated after a series of events that began with a deadly attack in Pahalam, located in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), on April 22. The attack claimed 26 lives, primarily tourists. India accused the incident of elements based in Pakistan, although no bearing evidence was released in public. Pakistan has heavily denied the allegations.

In response to the Pahaldam attack, India took a number of diplomatic and administrative actions, including the closure of the Wagah Attari Land Transition, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and recalled Pakistani Visa on April 23. Pakistan responded by sealing his side of the Wagah border and warned that any obstacle to the flow of water would be considered an act of war.

Hostilities were intensified the night of 6 to 7 May, when Indian armed forces allegedly executed coordinated missile, air and drone strikes in several places within Pakistani territory. Areas that are targeted included Sialkot, Shakargarh, Murideke and Bahawalpur in Punjab, as well as Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attacks led to the death for at least 31 civilians, including women and children, leaving 71 others wounded. Civil infrastructure, such as mosques and Neelum – Jhelum Hydroelectric Project, also inflicted damage.

In a retaliatory operation, Pakistan’s military reported the downturn of five Indian Air Force Rays and a fighting drone. The aircraft was identified as three Rafale jet, a MIG-29, an SU-Series-Jet and an Israeli-made Heron drone, which is said to have been shot down in areas including Bhatinda, Jammu, Akhnoor, Srinagar and Avantipur.

Read more: ‘Will avenge every drop of martyrs’ blood,’ warns PM India

What is Harop?

According to an Times of Israel report, Harop is made by Israel Aerospace Industries, a loitating ammunition that can fly to target and then attack by going down them on the command of the operator and destroying themselves in the process.

Harop is equipped with electrooptic (EO), infrared (IR) and forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensors, as well as a color CCD camera and anti-radar homing capacities that provide target detection and identification, a Eurasian Times report said.

It also states that Harop can seek targets in a designated area for nine hours, locate and identify them, plan an attack route and then pursue the strike from any direction at shallow or steep dive angles. Due to its immunity against GNSS fixed clamping, Harop overcomes communication challenges.

Harop was launched from cans mounted on trucks or naval vessels and is easily deployed from different terrain and environments. The drone returns to the base if a goal is not engaged. It is designed to minimize its radar signature through stealth (low observability).

Why India used Harop?

According to Pakistani security sources, the Indian Air Force (IAF) may be hesitant to launch further manned air tasks after losing five of its war plans in the air fight with PAF at night between 6 and 7 May.

They also said that India was trying to divert attention from its military setbacks with such provocative actions to reassure the domestic audience. The military said it remained on high alarm and responded to each aggression with a “firm and proportionate” approach.

It was a huge embarrassment to India when it launched a missile strike on Pakistan, but lost five of its jets, including three modern Rafale aircraft, in air battles during the PAF retirement. New Delhi has not officially confirmed the downturn of Rafale Jets.

However, a senior French intelligence officer to CNN confirmed that a Rafale jet had actually been shot down by Pakistan, which first marked one of these advanced French aircraft had been lost in battle.

An American commentator on CNN noted that the potential loss of Rafale jet aircraft would tackle a significant blow to India’s claim of air superiority, as it had built around the induction of these French-made warplanes.

Some experts suggested that the confrontation between the two countries served as a test of both Chinese and Western military technologies, especially after Pakistan’s acquisition of J-10C jet from China in response to India’s Rafale fleet. Analysts have noticed that China’s J-10C jet appears to be very effective, which potentially changes the regional balance of power.