New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): As tensions between India and Pakistan rise, former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan expressed strong support for the Indian Armed Forces, saying that India will respond appropriately to the recent attacks.

Sehwag took to his official X handle and wrote, 'War has been chosen by Pakistan when they had an opportunity to keep quiet. They have escalated to save it's terrorist assets, speaks so much about them. Our forces will reply in the most appropriate manner, a manner Pakistan will never forget.'

https://x.com/virendersehwag/status/1920529068274962732

Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan also reacted to this situation.

'Respect to our brave hearts for protecting our borders with such strength and stopping the drone attack on Jammu. India stands strong. Jai Hind!' Dhawan wrote on X.

https://x.com/SDhawan25/status/1920540836757918075

On Thursday, defence sources said that Pakistan fired eight missiles targeting areas including Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia. All the missiles were successfully intercepted and blocked by Indian air defence units.

Explosions were heard in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, where Indian forces intercepted Pakistani drones. Similar interceptions took place in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, where residents also reported hearing loud explosions and seeing flashes in the sky.

As a precaution, blackouts were enforced in several areas, including Bikaner (Rajasthan), Jalandhar and Amritsar (Punjab), and Kishtwar, Akhnoor, Samba, and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, India had launched Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 28 civilians. During the operation, Indian forces carried out precision strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). India had also warned that any attack on military installations would get a fitting reply. (ANI)