The long-standing Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan has taken a dangerous escalation with the latest developments. The missile attacks launched by the Indian army on Pakistan and the Pakistan-controlled Azad Kashmir regions have deeply shaken the fragile peace in the region. While it has been reported that 26 civilians have been killed and 46 people have been injured in the attacks so far, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced that his country is responding to these attacks. This chain of events has further increased the tension between the two nuclear powers and caused great concern internationally.
Pakistan Alleges Attacks and Promises Retaliation
The Director General of the Pakistan Army Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, announced that India had launched a series of missile strikes on Pakistani territory. According to Chaudhry, the areas targeted by India included Kotli, Muzaffarabad and Bagh cities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bahawalpur and Muridke districts in Punjab and another unspecified location. The fact that a mosque was also targeted in the strikes increases the sensitivity of the incident and potential religious tensions.
Major General Chaudhry particularly emphasized that no military facility was targeted in these attacks by India. This creates a perception on the Pakistani side that the attacks directly target civilians. Chaudhry firmly stated that Pakistan will “respond to this provocation at a time and place of its own choosing” and signaled retaliation. The number of civilians killed and injured in the attacks deepens the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Shocking Claim from Pakistani Security Sources: Indian Casualties
In a development that further escalates tensions, Pakistani security sources said that India five fighter jets and one drone He claimed that it was shot down. According to Geo News, unnamed sources said that all Pakistan Air Force aircraft are safe and Pakistan Armed Forces are giving a befitting response to the enemy aggression. This claim, if verified, could significantly increase the scale of the military conflict between the two countries. However, India has not yet officially responded to these claims.
Pakistan’s Strong Reactions and National Security Meeting
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif strongly condemned the attacks by India, describing them as “cowardly.” Asif emphasized that the attacks directly targeted civilian areas and that India carried out this action from its own airspace, and made a strong statement saying, “We will respond in a much greater way than their own attacks.” These statements show that Pakistan is determined to retaliate.
Pakistani Federal Minister of Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar announced that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has decided to immediately convene the National Security Committee. In this meeting, possible responses to India's attacks and the security situation in the region will be discussed in detail.
As a security measure, authorities in the capital Islamabad announced that all schools and universities in the city will be closed for one day. Similarly, the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, announced on social media that all educational institutions in the province will remain closed for one day, citing public safety. These decisions reflect the Pakistani government’s concern about escalating tensions in the region and its efforts to ensure public safety.
Background to the Events: Pahalgam Attack and Aftermath
The current tensions were sparked by a terrorist attack in the Pahalgam district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, in which 26 people were killed when gunmen opened fire on tourists. India accused the perpetrators of the attack of “coming from Pakistan.” Following these accusations, India took a series of tough measures against Pakistan. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, asked Pakistani advisers in New Delhi to leave the country, and suspended visa services for Pakistani citizens, canceling all previously issued visas.
Pakistan has categorically denied these accusations and retaliated to India’s actions. Islamabad has restricted the number of India’s diplomatic staff, declared any intervention in the rivers outside the “Indus Waters Treaty” as an “act of war,” suspended all trade with India, and closed its airspace. These harsh reciprocal steps clearly show how fragile the relations between the two countries are.
Defense and Recriminations from India
The Press Information Bureau of India (PIB) confirmed that the army had launched a military operation against “targets” in Pakistan and the Pakistan-controlled Azad Kashmir region. The statement said that nine areas were targeted, but maintained that “no Pakistani military installations were targeted.” India noted that these steps were taken to “hold those responsible accountable” after the attack in Pahalgam. The post by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on social media, “Long live India,” reflects nationalist sentiment in the country.
The Indian army also claimed on social media that Pakistan had fired weapons in the Bhimber Gali region of the country’s Jammu and Kashmir, close to the Pakistani border. Pakistan described this action as a “violation of the Ceasefire Agreement” and stressed that India would “respond in a measured manner.” These mutual accusations and military movements have the potential to further escalate tensions in the region.
According to unnamed sources in the Indian press, India has activated all its air defense units along the India-Pakistan border “to provide for any possible situation.” The sources claimed that the attacks were carried out without entering Pakistani territory. According to the NDTV channel, it was reported that French-made Hammer guided bombs and “Scalp” cruise missiles were used in India’s attacks. The closure of Srinagar Airport in the Jammu and Kashmir region of India to civilian aircraft following the incidents confirms security concerns. In a social media post by ANI News, it was shared that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was constantly monitoring the operation and that the attack on nine targets was successful.
India’s missile attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan’s harsh responses have escalated tensions in the Kashmir region to a dangerous level. Mutual accusations, military activity and allegations of downed aircraft are deepening instability in the region. It is of great importance that the international community closely monitors this crisis, calls on the parties to calm down and seeks diplomatic solutions. Otherwise, the risk of this escalation turning into a regional conflict is increasing day by day.
