Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply today, as India launched a series of missile strikes inside Pakistani territory under Operation Sindoor, targeting what it alleged were militant infrastructure sites responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam killings in India-administered-Kashmir. The attack, which left 26 tourists dead, was blamed by India on Pakistan-based groups, allegations Pakistan has firmly denied.
The strikes marked the beginning of the most severe military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in nearly 30 years. According to India’s Defense Ministry, the operation targeted at least nine sites allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba across Pakistan-administered-Kashmir and Punjab. Pakistan reported that the strikes caused at least 31 fatalities, including women and children.
Pakistan also claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets in retaliation, including French-made Dassault Rafale.
The escalation had been brewing since April 23, when India downgraded diplomatic ties, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and closed the Wagah border crossing. Pakistan responded by closing its airspace to Indian carriers and halting bilateral trade.
Heavy exchanges of fire were reported along the Line of Control for several nights preceding the missile strikes and, for the first time, both nations deployed drones for reconnaissance and combat. Indian officials alleged that Pakistani forces had attempted aerial drone intrusions in over 30 locations, while Pakistan claimed to have shot down Indian drones over Rawalpindi and Karachi.
As retaliatory shelling from Pakistan hit civilian areas in Jammu’s Poonch district, killing several and damaging homes and religious sites, fears of broader war gripped the region.
Global powers including the United States, China and the United Nations have called for immediate de-escalation. But with airbases, missile systems and drone fleets on high alert, the situation remains dangerously volatile.
Shongjog 