Chopra, Sehwag back Indian armed forces amid escalating conflict with Pakistan

New Delhi:  Top Indian sports personalities like Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra, Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan have expressed their support for the country’s military action against terror infrastructure in Pakistan.

A cloud of uncertainty looms over the future of the ongoing Indian Premier League amid fears of a larger military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The athletes have placed unflinching faith on the Indian armed forces.

“We are proud of our Brave Indian Armed Forces who are fighting for our nation against Terrorism. Let’s do our part and make sure to follow guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety during this time,” double Olympic-medallist Chopra posted on ‘X’.

Neeraj’s schedule begins with the Doha Diamond League on May 16 and will also include the first-ever Neeraj Chopra Classic event in Bengaluru on May 24, which will cause him to miss out. In his absence, Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh will be representing the tricolour in the men’s javelin throw.

Pakistan fired eight missiles directed at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and Arnia, and all were intercepted and blocked by air defence units, defence sources said on Thursday.

Explosions were heard as Indian air defence intercepted Pakistani drones in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani drones were intercepted by Indian air defence in Jaisalmer. Explosions were heard and flashes seen in the sky. A complete blackout has been enforced in Bikaner in Rajasthan and in Jalandhar in Punjab. Blackouts have also been enforced in Kishtwar, Akhnoor, Samba, Jammu, and Amritsar, Jalandhar.

Earlier, India had responded to the Pahalgam terror attack through Operation Sindoor, in which terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK was targeted through precision strikes. India also said that any attack on military installations will invite a suitable response.