Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated dramatically as India launched missile strikes on five separate locations within Pakistan, killing two civilians and injuring over a dozen others.
The unprovoked attacks, which targeted civilian areas including a mosque, have been widely condemned in Pakistan, with officials vowing a decisive response.
According to Pakistan’s military spokesperson, India fired missiles into Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Kotli and Muzaffarabad, as well as into the cities of Ahmadpur Sharqia, Bahawalpur, and Muridke in Punjab. One of the most devastating strikes occurred in Ahmadpur Sharqia, where a missile directly hit the Subhanallah Mosque, resulting in multiple injuries among civilians gathered there.
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The attack in Kotli claimed the lives of two innocent civilians. In Ahmadpur Sharqia, 12 people sustained injuries, including women and children. Security sources earlier reported that a child was among the dead, while a man and a woman were critically injured. Eyewitness accounts and initial photos from the scenes confirm that only unarmed and innocent Pakistani civilians were targeted.
“These are cowardly and shameful acts by India,” the Pakistani military said in a statement, adding that damage assessments are ongoing and that Pakistan will deliver a calculated and forceful retaliation at a time of its choosing.
Following the missile strikes, Pakistan's Air Force and Army reportedly initiated retaliatory operations. “Every drop of innocent Pakistani blood will be avenged,” security sources stated, emphasizing that a robust military response is already underway.
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of Defence acknowledged the attacks, claiming strikes on nine locations inside Pakistan. The cross-border aggression follows heightened tensions after the killing of 26 Indian tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22—a development India has linked to Pakistan without presenting concrete evidence.
In the wake of the strikes, Pakistani airspace has been closed for 48 hours, with all domestic and international flights canceled. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued to this effect by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The aggressive move comes just a day after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that a military clash with India appeared unavoidable, indicating that conflict could erupt at any moment. With both nations on high alert, regional and international observers are urging immediate de-escalation to avoid further loss of innocent lives.
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