In a significant military development, India announced on May 8 that its armed forces had "neutralized" an air defence system in Lahore, Pakistan. This action was part of a broader response to Pakistan's attempted drone and missile attacks on Indian military targets in northern and western regions, which were intercepted by India's Integrated Counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid and air defence systems. 

An air defence system is a series of mechanisms working in tandem to protect against enemy air strikes. The main functions of an air defence system are identifying, tracking, and then engaging the enemy missile. A radar transmits radio waves, which hit an object and come back to the radar, thus telling the radar about the incoming object. Destroying a city’s air defence systems is usually done as a preparation to bombing the city, or select locations within the city.

The neutralization of Lahore's air defence system marks a notable escalation in the ongoing hostilities between India and Pakistan, following the deadly Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 Indian lives.