Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have sharply escalated after New Delhi launched military strikes on Pakistani territory and Pakistan-administered Kashmir early Wednesday, in response to last month’s deadly massacre of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
India says the strikes, dubbed Operation Sindoor, targeted “terrorist infrastructure” linked to the April 22 attack in which more than two dozen civilians, mostly tourists, were killed. Pakistan denies any involvement in that attack.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Indian operation as “an act of war,” pledging retaliation. “Our military has been authorized to undertake corresponding actions,” Sharif said during a fiery address in parliament, where he also claimed Pakistan had downed five Indian jets, including three French-made Rafale fighters. CNN has not independently verified the claim, and India has not publicly commented on aircraft losses.
Pakistan’s military said at least 26 civilians, including a 3-year-old girl, were killed in the Indian airstrikes, with 46 others wounded. In a counteroffensive, Pakistani shelling reportedly killed 12 civilians and injured 57 more on the Indian side of the Line of Control, according to a senior Indian defense source.
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused India of crossing international boundaries and “inviting a wider war,” but added Pakistan was “trying to avoid a full-fledged conflict.”
Meanwhile, civilians in New Delhi expressed mixed reactions. While some welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong response, others feared economic fallout and called for peace.
Global reactions to the escalating conflict have been swift. The United States, China, Russia, and Japan have called for restraint, while Israel expressed support for India’s “right to self-defense.” Turkey and the UN condemned the strikes and warned of the risk of all-out war.
The international fallout is already impacting air travel. Gulf carriers including Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways have suspended flights to Pakistan, while northern Indian airports remain shut. Over two dozen international flights have been rerouted to avoid Pakistani airspace.
Civil defense drills were conducted across India on Wednesday, a rare nationwide exercise involving evacuations, blackouts, and emergency sirens, which the government said were planned prior to the strikes.
As diplomatic efforts intensify—Qatar has reached out to both sides urging dialogue—the world watches anxiously as two of Asia’s most volatile rivals stand on the brink of a broader conflict.
