Serious Military Escalation between India and Pakistan
India announced the launch of a military operation against targets in Pakistan on Wednesday, while Pakistan reported that it had shot down five Indian fighter jets. Both sides exchanged threats in what marks the worst confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in over 20 years.
India informed more than ten foreign envoys in New Delhi that it would "respond if Pakistan responds," escalating fears of intensified hostilities in one of the world’s most volatile and densely populated regions.
India stated that it targeted nine sites it described as "terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan, some of which are linked to an attack by militants on Hindu tourists that resulted in 26 deaths in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir last month.
Pakistan claimed that at least 26 Pakistani civilians were killed and accused India of "igniting hell in the region," declaring it would retaliate "at a time, place, and manner of its choosing in response to the deaths of innocent Pakistanis and the flagrant violation of its sovereignty," firmly rejecting Indian allegations of having terrorist camps on its territory.
The Indian strikes included an attack in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, marking the first such strike there since the last full-scale war between the two countries over 50 years ago.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated, "The targets we identified were destroyed precisely according to a well-planned strategy… We have shown awareness by ensuring that no civilian population was harmed at all."
Meanwhile, the office of the Pakistani Prime Minister reported that the military shot down five Indian fighter jets and drones, but India did not confirm this.
The Indian embassy in Beijing termed reports of Pakistan downing fighter jets as "misleading information."
Local government sources in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir told Reuters that three fighter jets crashed in different locations in the Himalayan region last night.
The sources added that the pilots of these jets were taken to the hospital.
Confirmation from the Indian Ministry of Defence is still awaited.
Indian military spokesmen stated that Wednesday’s attacks utilized precision weapons to target what was described as “terrorist camps” that were being used as recruitment centers, launch pads, and weapon storage and training facilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump characterized the situation as "deplorable," adding, "I hope it ends quickly."
Calls for restraint have been issued by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, China—which borders both India and Pakistan—Russia, and the United Kingdom, which agreed to a free trade deal with India on Tuesday.
Several airlines canceled flights in the region encompassing India and Pakistan due to airport and airspace closures. Pakistan later asserted that its airspace was open and safe.
