India conducts strikes on Pakistan, causing retaliatory attacks
India announced that it had launched strikes on “terrorist” areas across nine locations in Pakistan, prompting Pakistan to retaliate, Middle East Eye via Reuters reported on May 6th.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations have sharply escalated since India blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack in India-administered Kashmir last month. In response, Pakistan denied involvement, and India has not provided evidence linking the attackers to Pakistan. On April 30th, Pakistan warned of a possible Indian military incursion based on what it referred to as credible information.
Following the strikes, India clarified that it did not target any Pakistani military facilities. Nevertheless, Pakistan reported that Indian missiles hit Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh, and Muzaffarabad, killing at least three and injuring 12 civilians.
The strikes were on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, describing them as “terrorist infrastructure” used to plan attacks. It emphasized avoiding Pakistani military targets, calling the action “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” the BBC reported on May 7th.
Initially, Pakistan reported strikes in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bahawalpur. Later, military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif stated that six locations had been hit.
In retaliation, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistani forces shot down two Indian warplanes and a drone. A claim echoed by Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar.
Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, called the Indian strikes an “act of war” and vowed a “befitting reply.” Indian police later reported that Pakistan shelled across the Line of Control, injuring two women. The Indian army accused Pakistan of breaking a ceasefire.
The escalating conflict has drawn concern from world leaders. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “very concerned. He warned that the world cannot afford an India-Pakistan military confrontation.
US President Donald Trump also expressed alarm, calling the conflict “a shame” and referencing the region’s long history of violence.
Since partition in 1947, the disputed Kashmir region has driven three wars between India and Pakistan, with both nations continuing to assert conflicting claims over their territory.
Middle East Eye via Reuters, BBC
