India has announced it launched missile strikes into nine areas controlled by Pakistan in a deadly operation that reportedly claimed several lives.
The offensive, dubbed “Operation Sindoor” by India, targeted strategic locations overnight.
In response, Pakistan stated that it retaliated by striking several Indian military installations and claimed to have shot down multiple Indian warplanes. Pakistani officials boasted of their success in intercepting the attack and said a number of Indian soldiers had been taken as prisoners of war.
The Indian missile attacks were carried out in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir, as well as in Punjab province, located in eastern Pakistan. The cities of Muzaffarabad and Kotli, both in Kashmir, were particularly hard hit.
According to official reports from Pakistan so far, eight people have been confirmed dead in the strikes, with around 35 others injured.
Pakistan’s Minister of Defense, Khawaja Asif, stated that in the midst of the confrontation, Pakistani forces managed to shoot down five Indian military aircraft and capture a number of Indian soldiers.
He emphasized:
“Pakistan will respond to any aggression from India, and as of now, our forces are actively retaliating against this Indian offensive.”
Pakistan reported that India had struck five separate locations within its territory.
According to Reuters, the British news agency, immediately after the initial Indian strikes, heavy exchanges of fire ensued between the two armies, with intense artillery and gunfire heard across three areas near the shared border.
Following the flare-up of hostilities, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on both countries to exercise restraint and immediately agree to a ceasefire to prevent further escalation.
This latest confrontation comes amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan in recent weeks, sparked by the murder of 26 tourists in the Indian-administered Kashmir region.
India blamed Islamabad for the deadly incident last month — accusations that Pakistan forcefully denied.
