'No AD guns within Darbar Sahib': Army denies deploying air defence systems inside Golden Temple

No air defence guns or military assets were deployed inside the Golden Temple, the Indian Army clarified on Tuesday, amid reports suggesting otherwise in the wake of Pakistani drone and missile attacks earlier this month. "Some media reports are circulating with respect to the deployment of AD Guns in The Golden Temple. It is clarified that no AD guns or any other AD resources were deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (The Golden Temple),” the Army said in an official statement.

The clarification came a day after Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, Director General of Army Air Defence, stated: "It was very nice that the Head Granthi of the Golden Temple allowed us to deploy our guns. 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."

However, Singh Sahib Giani Raghbir Singh, the Head Granthi of the Golden Temple, dismissed such claims and called for a detailed inquiry. "I have no information that the Indian Army reached out to us. I was on leave and travelling abroad. I want a thorough investigation into this matter. It must be made clear what the Indian Army’s real intent was behind this,” he said.

According to D'Cunha, the Golden Temple authorities were made aware of potential threats and allowed the deployment of air defence systems “to secure and protect a national war monument of international repute.” He said, “They allowed us to deploy guns to secure and protect a national war monument...The Golden Temple's lights were switched off.”

D'Cunha also referred to an earlier statement by Major General Kartik C Seshadri, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 15th Infantry Division, who confirmed that Army Air Defence gunners successfully intercepted all drones and missiles targeting the Golden Temple.

"The Pakistan Army has no legitimate targets to strike inside India, nor does it have the courage or capability to confront the Indian armed forces face to face,” Major General Seshadri said. "They have even targeted religious places, particularly along the Indian border, a case in point being the Golden Temple in Amritsar... bravely thwarted by our Army Air Defence gunners."

The military engagement between India and Pakistan escalated after India launched retaliatory airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. 

In response, Pakistan launched nearly 1,000 drones at civilian zones across Punjab, including Amritsar. All were shot down by Indian air defence forces, while Indian strikes inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani military assets and personnel.