By Amjad Ali
Islamabad/New Delhi/Srinagar, May 7 (EFE).- India launched missile strikes into Pakistan and Pakistan-istered Kashmir early Wednesday, claiming to have hit nine suspected militant bases in a retaliatory operation following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-istered Kashmir.
At least eight people were killed, two remained missing, and several others were injured in the Indian airstrikes, according to the Pakistani military. The Indian Army, however, said the strikes hit infrastructure used by militants attempting to destabilize India.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” was announced on social media by the Indian Army, which said simply, “Justice is served,” without offering further details.
The Indian defense ministry described the strike as “a precise and restrained response” to the Apr. 22 massacre in the Pahalgam tourist town of Indian-istered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 civilians, most of them tourists from across India.
“Focused strikes were carried out on nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, targeting the roots of cross-border terror planning,” the Indian ministry said in a statement.
“Importantly, no Pakistani military facilities were hit, reflecting India’s calibrated and non-escalatory approach,” it added.
Pakistani military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed the casualties and condemned the Indian strike as a “cowardly” act. He said Pakistan was carrying out air and ground operations in response.
“A total of 24 attacks have been carried out at six places in which eight civilians have been martyred, 35 other civilians are injured, and two are missing,” Chaudhry said.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry called the Indian attack “an unprovoked and blatant act of war,” vowing to respond “with iron resolve to protect and preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the country.
In Indian-istered Kashmir, residents said they were jolted awake by the roar of aircraft followed by the whooshing sound of missiles. The strikes reignited fears of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan, deepening panic in the already tense region.
According to Pakistan, India launched the strikes while remaining within its own airspace but used standoff weapons to hit civilian areas.
The reported targets were spread across Muridke and Bahawalpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Bagh, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-istered Kashmir, across the de facto border, the Line of Control.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had “every right to respond forcefully to this act of war imposed by India, and a forceful response is being given.”
“The Pakistani nation and the Pakistan Armed Forces know very well how to deal with the enemy,” he said. “We will never let the enemy succeed in its nefarious objectives.”
India has accused Pakistan of orchestrating the Apr. 22 attack on civilians in Kashmir but has not provided public evidence to the claim. Pakistan has categorically denied involvement.
The assault was one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Kashmir in decades and has sharply escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
In the aftermath, India took several punitive actions, including threatening to cut off river water flow to Pakistan, expelling Pakistani diplomats, and canceling visas.
US President Donald Trump, commenting on the escalation, said it was a “shame” that the conflict has escalated.
“I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time….for many, many decades. And centuries, actually, if you really think about it,” Trump told reporters in reply to a question about the Indian strike against Pakistan.
India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in its entirety and have fought multiple wars over the region since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. EFE
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