India Launches Missiles on Pakistan, killing at least 31/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, as the overall death toll increased to 31 people in what Pakistan’s leader called an act of war. India also claims there are casualties from Pakistani fire in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India said it struck infrastructure used by militants linked to last month’s massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. At least seven people died in Indian-controlled Kashmir from artillery exchanges.
India-Pakistan Crisis: Quick Looks
- India struck multiple targets in Pakistan in retaliation for Kashmir massacre.
- Pakistan reported 26 civilians killed, including women and children.
- Islamabad said Indian jets were shot down in cross-border fire.
- India named the operation “Sindoor,” referencing slain Hindu husbands.
- Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif vowed a “strong” response to the airstrikes.
- UN and China called for restraint amid fears of escalation.
- Indian states launched emergency drills in preparation for further conflict.
- Several aircraft crashed across Indian-controlled areas, injuring civilians.
Deep Look: India-Pakistan Conflict Escalates After Missile Strikes
Tensions between India and Pakistan surged dangerously on Wednesday after India launched missile strikes on Pakistani territory, marking the most serious escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals in years. The Indian Defense Ministry confirmed the attacks, which it said targeted “terrorist camps” linked to the recent massacre of Indian tourists in Kashmir. Pakistan decried the operation as an “act of war,” claiming over two dozen civilians, including children, were killed.
India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, as the overall death toll increased to 31 people in what Pakistan’s leader called an act of war. India also claims there are casualties from Pakistani fire in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.
India said it struck infrastructure used by militants linked to last month’s massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. At least seven people died in Indian-controlled Kashmir from artillery exchanges.
Pakistan said at 26 people died in the missiles strikes and five from artillery exchange along the Line of Control that separates the two countries in Kashmir. It said another 5 were killed in artillery fire near the Line of Control.
India said its missiles hit nine separate sites, claiming they were “terrorist locations” tied to the April attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir where gunmen murdered 26 Hindu tourists—many in front of their families. The attackers were affiliated with a group called Kashmir Resistance, which India says has ties to the banned Pakistani outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan denies any involvement and rejects the claim of hosting militant camps.
Pakistan’s military stated that Indian missiles struck six sites, including targets in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the eastern Punjab province. The damage was severe in some locations, with officials confirming the deaths of 26 civilians and injuries to at least 38 more. Five additional people died in subsequent cross-border fire.
Indian jets reportedly struck infrastructure near a dam in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. One missile hit near the Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur, killing 13. The mosque is located close to a former Jaish-e-Mohammed seminary—an organization banned in Pakistan since 2002. Another missile struck near Muridke, close to the former headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Pakistan claims it shot down five Indian jets in retaliation. The debris from three of them landed in Indian-controlled territory: two in Kashmir, and one in Punjab. India has not yet commented on the aircraft losses. In Wuyan village near Srinagar, a plane crash caused widespread fires. Debris scattered across schools and mosques. In Bhardha Kalan, residents reported seeing pilots pulled from the wreckage.
India named its operation “Sindoor”—a symbolic gesture referencing the vermillion worn by married Hindu women, honoring those widowed in the Kashmir attack. The strikes were described by India’s Defense Ministry as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” with the claim that no Pakistani military installations were targeted.
Still, the reaction from Islamabad was swift. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks, stating, “Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given.” The country’s National Security Committee echoed the threat, asserting Pakistan would respond “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing.”
Experts warn the situation is highly volatile. Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert, noted the strikes represent “the highest-intensity attacks from India in years,” adding that “Pakistan’s response will surely pack a punch as well.” He cautioned that even the presence of nuclear arsenals won’t guarantee a peaceful resolution.
International leaders are urging de-escalation. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for restraint, while China—Pakistan’s top foreign investor—also called for calm. Beijing has ongoing border disputes with India and has a vested interest in avoiding conflict in the region.
Both nations are now in heightened military readiness. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi canceled an upcoming European diplomatic tour to remain in New Delhi. Multiple Indian states held civil defense drills to prepare civilians for potential attacks—unusual outside wartime.
On the ground, the human toll is already devastating. Witnesses in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, described chaos as missiles struck residential neighborhoods. “We were afraid the next missile might hit our house,” said one resident. Power outages, fires, and mass panic spread across multiple cities in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s military also criticized India for damaging civilian infrastructure, including a dam and mosques. In both Bahawalpur and Muridke, buildings tied to previously banned militant groups were hit. Pakistan insists those sites have had no operational roles in years.
On the Indian side of the border, Pakistani shelling killed seven civilians and injured 30 more in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. Officials reported damaged homes and overwhelmed medical facilities. Residents in the area described intense cross-border shelling with homes “shaking like earthquakes.”
The specter of war looms over South Asia, where both countries have fought multiple conflicts—two of them over Kashmir. The region, split between India and Pakistan, remains at the heart of their decades-long rivalry. With USMCA trade disputes ongoing and major geopolitical realignments unfolding, this new front threatens to destabilize not only the subcontinent but also broader global alliances.
As the international community watches closely, the fate of peace between India and Pakistan may now hinge on back-channel diplomacy or global pressure. Without intervention, experts fear a rapid descent into full-scale warfare—a possibility the world can ill afford.
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