Casualties were confirmed on both sides on Wednesday as tensions escalated. Pakistani authorities reported that Indian strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 26 civilians and left 46 others injured. Meanwhile, Indian officials stated that Pakistani artillery fire had claimed the lives of 10 civilians and caused injuries to 48 others along the Line of Control.
Islamabad has reported the downing of five Indian Air Force jets.
Tensions escalated significantly after India commenced “Operation Sindoor” at approximately 1 a.m. on Wednesday, carrying out coordinated missile strikes targeting nine “terrorist installations” in both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
India has stated that its missile strikes were aimed explicitly at “militant infrastructure” located in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the eastern Punjab province.
According to a statement from India’s Ministry of Defense, the operation was launched following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.
In a video released on X following the strike, the Indian army described its operations as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature.”
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has alleged that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sanctioned the military operation chiefly to bolster his political backing domestically.
Asif announced that the retaliation has commenced, expressing confidence that it will not take long to resolve the issue.
Reports indicate that intense shelling has recommenced along the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir.
India has attributed the Pahalgam attack to armed groups it asserts were supported by Pakistan. In response, Islamabad has consistently denied any involvement in the incident.
