The post-Pahalgam military engagement between India and Pakistan escalated further on Friday night and early hours of Saturday. The Indian Armed Forces intercepted and destroyed a long-range Fatah-II ballistic missile launched from Pakistani territory, reportedly aimed at the national capital, New Delhi. The missile was shot down over Sirsa, Haryana, marking one of the most serious and dangerous escalations in South Asia in recent years.
The attack was part of a broader offensive by Pakistan under its newly launched military campaign Operation Bunyanun Marsoos, translating to ‘concrete structure’, which included cross-border shelling, drone incursions and now the use of advanced missile systems. In a swift and powerful counterstrike, India responded with coordinated air and drone attacks on multiple Pakistani airbases and cities, causing heavy damage to key military infrastructure.
The Fatah-II: An overview
The missile intercepted by Indian forces was confirmed to be the Fatah-II, Pakistan’s latest addition to its long-range precision strike arsenal. The missile, developed and tested by Pakistan’s strategic forces and inducted into its army in early 2025, is a guided surface-to-surface missile with a range of up to 400 kilometres. It represents a significant leap in Islamabad’s military technology, far surpassing its predecessor, the Fatah-I, which had a range of just 140 kilometres.
What makes the Fatah-II particularly dangerous is its advanced guidance system and flat ballistic trajectory, designed to evade radar detection and interception. Pakistani military sources had earlier claimed that the missile would strengthen the country’s conventional deterrence. However, its operational use against a India’s national capital with huge civilian population — New Delhi — marks a stunning shift in Pakistan’s strategic calculus.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/india/fatah-ballistic-missile-pakistan-delhi-sirsa-india-air-defence-13887139.html.
