India has launched a series of air and missile strikes on what it claims were militant targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The operation, dubbed “Operation Sindoor”, comes just two weeks after a brutal militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir left 26 people dead, including one Nepali national.
According to India’s defence ministry, the strikes were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” targeting nine locations believed to house terrorist infrastructure involved in planning and directing the 22 April attack in Pahalgam—a scenic resort town popular with Hindu pilgrims. India insists no Pakistani military sites were hit.
Pakistan, however, strongly denies any involvement in the April attack and has labelled the strikes as “unprovoked aggression.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the operation, vowing that the “heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished.”
Pakistan’s military claims it has shot down five Indian aircraft and a drone during the strikes—claims India has yet to confirm. Pakistani authorities report at least eight civilian deaths, while India says three civilians were killed in retaliatory Pakistani shelling across the Line of Control.
The Indian strikes reportedly hit Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, as well as Bahawalpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rejected India’s claim that the targets were terrorist camps, insisting the sites were civilian areas.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have been rising steadily since the Pahalgam massacre—the deadliest attack on civilians in Kashmir in two decades. While no group has claimed responsibility, Indian police allege that two of the attackers were Pakistani nationals, a claim Islamabad firmly denies.
In the aftermath, diplomatic relations have deteriorated sharply. Both nations expelled diplomats, suspended visas, and closed key border crossings—actions reminiscent of the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama attack, which similarly triggered retaliatory strikeAs both sides trade accusations and escalate military activity, international observers are closely watching for signs of further escalation in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
