India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early today, killing at least 19 people including a child, in what Pakistan's leader called an act of war.
India said it struck infrastructure used by militants linked to last month’s massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.
Photo: AFP
Pakistan claimed it shot down several Indian fighter jets in retaliation as two planes fell onto villages in India-controlled Kashmir.
At least three civilians were also killed in the region by Pakistani shelling, the Indian army said in a statement.
Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors since the attack, which India has blamed Pakistan for backing.
Islamabad has denied the accusation.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned today's airstrikes and said the “deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks” and that his country would retaliate.
“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,” Sharif said.
Sharif has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee for this morning.
South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said it was one the highest-intensity strikes from India on its rival in years and that Pakistan’s response would “surely pack a punch as well.”
“These are two strong militaries that, even with nuclear weapons as a deterrent, are not afraid to deploy sizable levels of conventional military force against each other,” Kugelman said. “The escalation risks are real. And they could well increase, and quickly.”
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late yesterday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for maximum military restraint from both countries.
“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the statement read.
Indian politicians from different political parties lauded the strikes.
India’s main opposition Congress party called for national unity and said it was “extremely proud” of the country’s army.
“We applaud their resolute resolve and courage,” Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
India's army said the operation was named “Sindoor,” a Hindi word for the bright red vermillion powder worn by married Hindu women on their forehead and hair, in a reference to the women who saw their husbands killed in front of them.
The missiles hit six locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country’s eastern Punjab province, Pakistani military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif said.
At least 19 people were killed and 38 injured, officials said.
India’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted at least nine sites “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.”
“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the statement said, adding that “India has demonstrated considerable restraint."
Pakistani officials said the strikes hit at least two sites previously tied to banned militant groups.
One hit the Subhan Mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, killing 13 people including a child, according to Zohaib Ahmed, a doctor at a nearby hospital.
The mosque is adjacent to a seminary that once served as the central office of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group outlawed in 2002.
Officials say the group has had no operational presence at the site since the ban.
Another missile hit a mosque in Muridke, damaging its structure.
A sprawling building located nearby served as the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba until 2013, when Pakistan banned the group and arrested its founder.
The attack in Kashmir was claimed by a previously unknown group calling itself Kashmir Resistance.
Authorities in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir have declared an emergency in the region’s hospitals.
Pakistan shut schools in Kashmir and Punjab Province after the missile strikes.
It had earlier closed seminaries in Kashmir in anticipation of an attack by India.
Along the Line of Control, which divides the disputed region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, there were heavy exchanges of fire.
The Indian army said three civilians were killed when Pakistani troops “resorted to arbitrary firing,” including gunfire and artillery shelling, across the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir between the two countries, and their international border.
Shortly after India’s strikes, aircraft fell in two villages in India-controlled Kashmir.
State-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said the country’s air force shot down five Indian jets in retaliation, but provided no additional detail.
There was no immediate comment from India about Pakistan’s claim.
China called on restraint from both sides following India’s strike into Pakistan.
“China expresses regret over India’s military actions this morning and is concerned about the current developments. China opposes all forms of terrorism,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a statement. “We call on both India and Pakistan to prioritize peace and stability, remain calm and restrained, and avoid taking actions that further complicate the situation.”
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