Tensions Soar as India, Pakistan Exchange Deadly Fire \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ India launched missile strikes into Pakistani-controlled areas, killing at least 19 people, in retaliation for a deadly terror attack in Kashmir. Pakistan condemned the action as an act of war, as both countries exchanged cross-border fire, sparking fears of wider conflict. India claims the strikes targeted militant bases with precision.
Quick Looks
- India launched missile strikes into Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Punjab, killing at least 19 people.
- Strikes were in response to a Kashmir massacre blamed on Pakistan-based militants.
- Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned the action as a “cowardly act of war.”
- Pakistan vowed a “robust response” and declared a hospital emergency in Kashmir.
- Missiles hit sites linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, both outlawed groups.
- One mosque strike killed 13, including a child; another mosque was damaged.
- Pakistan said five Indian jets were downed—India has not confirmed.
- Indian-controlled Kashmir also hit by Pakistani shelling, killing three civilians.
- Aircraft wreckage landed in Indian villages; two injured pilots recovered.
- India named the operation “Sindoor”, symbolizing justice for widowed women.
- India’s NSA spoke with U.S. officials, citing credible evidence of Pakistan’s involvement.
- UN called for military restraint, warning of nuclear confrontation risk.
Deep Look
In a major escalation between two nuclear-armed nations, India launched coordinated missile strikes early Wednesday into Pakistan-controlled territories, killing at least 19 people, including a child, and injuring dozens more. The strikes came in retaliation for last month’s massacre of Indian tourists in Kashmir, an attack India blames on Pakistan-based militants. Islamabad has denied the accusations, but the fallout has pushed South Asia to the brink of a larger military confrontation.
The Indian government said its strikes were “measured, focused, and non-escalatory,” targeting nine known terrorist locations used by the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba groups—both of which have been officially banned in Pakistan. Indian Defense officials claimed the operation, dubbed “Sindoor,” was named after the sacred red powder worn by married Hindu women—a symbolic tribute to the widows of the men killed in the Kashmir massacre.
Among the sites targeted was the Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur, which sits adjacent to a now-defunct seminary once used by Jaish-e-Mohammed. According to Dr. Zohaib Ahmed at a nearby hospital, 13 people, including a child, died in that strike alone. Another missile struck a mosque in Muridke, where Lashkar-e-Taiba once operated its headquarters before its 2013 ban.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, said the strikes hit six locations in total and accused India of targeting areas with no current militant activity. He confirmed at least 38 injuries and warned that the attacks represented a significant escalation. “This reckless aggression,” Sharif said, “will not go unanswered.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the strikes, calling India “a deceitful enemy” and warned that a “strong response is indeed being given.” An emergency meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Committee was convened, while hospitals in Pakistan-administered Kashmir declared medical emergencies.
Just hours after the missile strikes, intense shelling and gunfire were reported across the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The Indian Army said three civilians were killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir when Pakistani troops fired artillery shells. Indian forces responded in what they described as a “proportionate manner.”
Meanwhile, multiple aircraft were reported downed across Indian-controlled territory. In southern Wuyan village, outside Srinagar, residents described explosions and flaming debris falling on a school and mosque. Fires burned for hours as rescue teams struggled to reach the wreckage. In Bhardha Kalan, near the town of Akhnoor, a fireball lit up the sky as another aircraft crashed in a field. Two injured pilots were rescued by the Indian army.
Pakistan’s state-run media claimed that its air force had shot down five Indian fighter jets in retaliation. India has not confirmed any aircraft losses. Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry warned that India’s strikes endangered commercial air traffic and called the escalation “a dangerous provocation that threatens regional peace.”
The developments prompted international concern. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, urged both countries to exercise “maximum military restraint.” The statement warned: “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”
Back in India, the response was overwhelmingly nationalistic. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh wrote “Victory to Mother India” on X (formerly Twitter). The Congress Party, typically in opposition, expressed full support for the military and praised its “resolve and courage.”
Meanwhile, authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir shut down Srinagar airport, closed all schools and institutions in seven districts, and urged civilians to stay indoors. Fear and tension rippled across border communities.
In Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-controlled Kashmir’s capital, residents like Abdul Sammad described scenes of chaos: “We heard several explosions. People were screaming and running. It felt like war.” Electricity was cut in the area, and families took shelter in open fields, terrified that more missiles were incoming.
In Washington, the Indian Embassy confirmed that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had spoken to U.S. NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. India reportedly shared technical evidence, survivor testimonies, and credible intelligence linking Pakistan-based terrorists to the recent Kashmir attack.
As the region braces for possible retaliation from Pakistan, many analysts warn that this is one of the most intense military exchanges in decades. South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said, “These are two powerful militaries, and even with nuclear weapons as a deterrent, they’re not afraid to engage with significant conventional force.” He warned that the risk of further escalation is dangerously real.
With both nations ramping up military activity, closing airspace, and shifting diplomatic tone, the international community watches with growing anxiety. Whether cooler heads can prevail in time to prevent a broader conflict remains uncertain—but for now, the specter of war looms once again over the Kashmir valley.
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