Diplomatic Correspondent :
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated dramatically early Wednesday morning as India launched coordinated air and missile strikes on nine locations within Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The operation, codenamed Operation Sindoor, was in retaliation for the 22 April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists.
According to Indian authorities, the precision strikes targeted infrastructure allegedly linked to terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Indian officials claim that over 70 militants were killed and 60 others injured in the strikes, significantly degrading the operational capabilities of the groups responsible.
Conversely, Pakistan has strongly condemned the strikes, reporting that they resulted in the deaths of at least 26 civilians and injuries to 46 others, including women and children. A mosque in Bahawalpur was among the civilian structures reportedly damaged.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Indian Armed Forces for the execution of the operation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the Cabinet, which collectively expressed support for the operation and the Prime Minister’s leadership.
In retaliation, Pakistan’s military claimed it had shot down five Indian aircraft, including three Rafale jets, and destroyed several Indian military installations. These claims have not been confirmed by Indian officials. Pakistan also launched artillery shelling across the Line of Control (LoC), reportedly killing at least three Indian civilians.
In a statement, the Pakistani government labelled India’s strikes as “an unprovoked act of war” and convened a meeting of its National Security Council (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The NSC authorised Pakistan’s armed forces to respond, citing a “blatant violation” of the country’s sovereignty.
Pakistan stated that the Indian strikes targeted locations in Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, and Bahawalpur in Punjab, as well as Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani Armed Forces asserted they had downed multiple Indian aircraft and drones while defending their territory.
Speaking in parliament, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Indian attack as a “cowardly act” executed under the cover of night. He criticised India for attributing the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan without presenting evidence and mourned the civilian lives lost in the airstrikes, including women and children.
Sharif asserted that while Pakistani jets did not cross into Indian airspace, they had successfully shot down five Indian aircraft. “This is conventional warfare,” he stated, adding that Pakistan’s military strength should no longer be underestimated.
In New Delhi, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri justified ‘Operation Sindoor’, stating: “On 22 April, Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba perpetrated a brutal attack in Pahalgam, killing 26 civilians, including a Nepali national – the highest civilian toll in a terrorist incident in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.”
He added that India’s actions were “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible,” aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and deterring future cross-border attacks.
The international community has voiced growing alarm. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for immediate restraint from both nations. US President Donald Trump described the situation as “a shame” and urged dialogue. The Government of Bangladesh also expressed concern, urging both countries to exercise restraint and prioritise diplomacy in the interest of regional stability.
The intensifying conflict has already had ripple effects on civilian aviation. Several Asian airlines, including Taiwan’s China Airlines and South Korea’s Korean Air, announced the rerouting or cancellation of flights to and from Europe. Additionally, around a dozen Indian airports were temporarily shut down amid the hostilities.
As the region braces for further developments, global leaders continue to call for calm, warning of the grave consequences of further escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
