(MENAFN- Live Mint) Indian Army's incharge of air defence Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D'Cunha recently revealed that during Operation Sindoor , the Golden Temple management allowed the Indian Army to deploy air defence guns within the shrine to counter potential drone and missile threats from Pakistan.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha said,“It was very nice that the Head Granthi of the Golden Temple allowed us to deploy our guns.”

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"It is possibly for the first time in many years that they switched off the Golden Temple lights so that we could see the drone coming," Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, the Director General of Army Air Defence, noted.

He said the unprecedented cooperation from the Golden Temple authorities came after they were briefed on the gravity of the threat, following which Indian Army guns were deployed.

The Director General said,“The Golden Temple hierarchy realised there was possibly a threat when it was explained to them. They allowed us to deploy guns to secure and protect the monument of international fame which is visited by hundreds and thousands of people every day.”

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"Hence, these guns were deployed, and the golden temple lights were switched off so that we could clearly visualise the drones as they were coming in. That gave us a greater clarity in the sky because as and when you saw the light, you knew what to engage," the Director General explained.

Pakistani drones, missiles targeted Golden Temple

Earlier on Monday, Major General Kartik C Seshadri told news agency ANI that Pakistan engaged in an air assault with aerial weapons, including drones and long-range missiles, targeting the Golden Temple.

Major General Kartik C Seshadri, GOC (General Officer Commanding) 15 Infantry Division, said that armed forces anticipated that Pakistan would target Indian military installations, civilian targets, including religious places.

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“Of these, the Golden Temple appeared to be the most prominent," he said.“...alert army air defence gunners thwarted Pakistan Army's nefarious designs and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple," he added.

India-Pakistan conflict

Pakistan military had resorted to firing and shelling cities along borders with India after India launched precision attacks on at least nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir Operation Sindoor on May 7.

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Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.

Pakistan retaliated by using drones to target Indian cities. India then conducted retaliatory strikes in Pakistan , destroying nearly 20 per cent of Pakistan's air force infrastructure.

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