Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply increased after India launched missile strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan. These strikes killed at least eight people, including a child, and injured around 35 others. The attacks were carried out at nine locations, according to India, and came after a deadly attack in Indian Kashmir last month that killed 26 Hindu tourists.

Pakistan has strongly reacted to the strikes and described them as an “act of war”. In response, Pakistan claimed it had shot down five Indian Air Force jets. The Pakistan government also said, “Pakistan gives a befitting reply to India.”

The situation has created fears of a major conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries. Both sides have exchanged fire across the border in the Kashmir region, and civilians have also suffered in the cross-border shelling.

Missile hits civilians and religious site in Pakistan

India's missile attacks were reported around 1 am local time on Wednesday. One of the missiles hit a mosque in Bahawalpur city, located in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populated province. In that attack, a child was killed, and a woman and a man were injured. Other missiles struck areas near Muridke in Punjab and Kotli in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Witnesses in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, said they heard loud explosions early on Wednesday. They also said that power went out after the blasts. Pictures and videos shared on social media showed the bodies of a dead child and an injured adult lying on stretchers. A video also showed a big explosion lighting up the sky with smoke rising into the air.

Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif, told The Guardian that Indian missiles had targeted at least six civilian areas, not military sites. He said, “We are in the process of retaliating. You will see Pakistan’s response before the morning.”

India’s army released a statement defending the strikes. It said that India had targeted “terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.” The Indian army also said, “Our actions have been focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and methods of execution.”

But Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, rejected India’s claim. He said, “Pakistan has every right to respond forcefully to this act of war imposed by India, and a forceful response is being given.” He added, “The Pakistani nation and the Pakistan armed forces know very well how to deal with the enemy. We will never let the enemy succeed in its nefarious objectives.”

Sharif also planned to hold a meeting of Pakistan’s national security committee on Wednesday morning to discuss further steps.

Cross-border shelling and water disputes add to tensions

The missile strikes have led to increased violence along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir. In the Kupwara district on the Indian side of the border, residents reported exchanges of gunfire between Indian and Pakistani troops. The Indian army said that three Indian civilians died and five were injured due to shelling from Pakistan.

A Pakistani military spokesperson also confirmed that firing had taken place at several locations on the LoC. Indian officials claimed that Pakistan had violated the ceasefire agreement by firing artillery shells into Indian territory. A local resident from Kupwara, Haji Sanaullah, said, “We are hearing constant loud bangs, and some shells have landed near civilian areas.”

Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry said that the Indian missile strikes were carried out without crossing into Pakistani airspace. But the ministry also warned that such attacks pose a danger to commercial air traffic. “This reckless escalation has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict,” the ministry said.

Following the strikes, several international airlines said they would suspend flights to and over parts of Pakistan and northern India until midday Wednesday due to safety concerns.

The situation became even more tense after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a speech in Delhi and talked about stopping the flow of water across India’s borders. Modi said, “India’s water used to go outside; now it will flow for India.” Though he did not directly name Pakistan, his words came after India suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty. This treaty, which is over 65 years old, controls the water flow from Indian rivers into Pakistan and is vital for Pakistan’s agriculture and drinking water.

Pakistan had earlier warned that blocking river water would be considered an “act of war”.

The missile strikes came after a major attack in the Baisaran Valley in Indian Kashmir. This area is known for its beauty and is a popular tourist spot. India blamed Pakistan for that attack, but Pakistan denied any role in it.

Since 24 April, both countries have been exchanging fire almost every night along the Line of Control.

The United Nations and the international community have asked both countries to avoid war. A UN spokesperson said that Secretary-General António Guterres is “very concerned” about the strikes. “He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.

This is one of the most serious escalations between the two neighbours in recent years. Both countries have fought multiple wars since 1947, and the current situation has again brought fears of another war close to reality.

 

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