Tensions escalated between India and Pakistan following recent Indian strikes in Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, resulting in at least 31 deaths and 46 injuries. India’s military operation, termed “Operation Sindoor,” targeted militant groups linked to a deadly attack in April that killed 26 tourists. Pakistan claims the strikes have harmed civilians, while India asserts it did not target civilian areas. Air combat ensued, with Pakistan claiming to have downed five Indian aircraft. Both nations are amid heavy military buildups, raising fears of broader conflict, prompting calls for restraint from international leaders.
Islamabad, Pakistan / New Delhi, India
CNN
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For the second consecutive day, New Delhi and Islamabad have amplified hostile rhetoric following India’s incursion into parts of Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, raising fears of an impending larger conflict.
The increase in cross-border artillery fire places both nations in precarious circumstances, with Islamabad pledging retaliatory action against New Delhi’s aggression, as global calls for restraint echo.
The strikes from India have reportedly resulted in at least 31 fatalities across Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, including a 3-year-old girl, along with 46 injuries, according to military spokespersons. An Indian defense source noted that at least 16 civilians died due to Pakistani shelling on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.
New Delhi justified its strikes as a reaction to the massacre of 26 individuals—predominantly Indian tourists—who were killed in April when armed assailants stormed a scenic area in India-administered Kashmir, a region with a contentious border. India accuses Pakistan of being responsible, a claim Islamabad refutes.
Here’s the latest on the situation.
India initiated “Operation Sindoor” during the early hours of Wednesday local time (Tuesday night ET) over both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Indian officials asserted that no Pakistani civilian, economic, or military establishments were hit during the 25-minute operation, which focused on dismantling the “terrorist infrastructure” of two militant factions – Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
However, Pakistan has presented a contrasting narrative regarding the strikes, claiming civilian casualties and targeting of mosques across six different locations. CNN has yet to independently verify these assertions.
Some of these strikes reportedly impacted the densely populated Punjab province, indicating the furthest India has penetrated into Pakistani territory since one of their conflicts in 1971, according to Pakistan’s military.
New Delhi has also confirmed its targeting of air defense facilities in multiple locations across Pakistan on Thursday morning, marking the first acknowledgment of Indian strikes on Pakistani military sites.
India cautioned that its recent actions were a response to Pakistan’s attempts to target military objectives in northern and western India during the preceding night.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged for “sustained vigilance” and “clear communication” during his initial remarks following the recent escalation in hostilities.
While chairing a high-level meeting on Thursday, Modi emphasized the necessity for effective internal coordination and resilience.
Earlier, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh informed political leaders that India’s military operation against Pakistani targets “is still ongoing.”
Pakistani security sources reported that they had intercepted five Indian Air Force jets and one drone early Wednesday, including three Rafales—sophisticated French-made aircraft acquired by New Delhi only a few years prior.
A senior French intelligence official subsequently informed CNN that one Rafale was downed by Pakistan, and that French authorities are investigating whether additional aircraft were also lost.
A senior Pakistani security official stated that 125 aircraft engaged for over an hour, maintaining their respective airspaces and launching missiles from a distance, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif proclaimed that they had reduced the five Indian jets to “smithereens.”
Subsequently, on Thursday, Pakistan announced the downing of another 25 Harop loitering munitions across the nation—Israeli-made flying bombs guided by operators.
One of the drones was reportedly able to “partially” engage its target near Lahore—a city of around 13 million near the India border—resulting in four army personnel being injured, according to Pakistan Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
The military officials referred to India’s recent drone strikes as “a serious provocation,” adding, “The security of the region and beyond is at risk,” according to Chaudhry.
After Pakistan reported downing Indian aircraft, India’s government remained silent initially. The Indian embassy in China refuted what it characterized as “disinformation” after Chinese state media suggested Indian planes had been shot down. CNN has been unable to corroborate Pakistan’s assertions and has reached out to the Indian Air Force and the Ministry of Defense for statements.
However, multiple reports of aircraft crashes within Indian territory have surfaced since then.
In Punjab, eyewitness accounts and insights from a local government official indicate an unidentified plane crashed from the night sky early Wednesday—around the same time that Pakistan claimed to have downed jets. The official mentioned that the aircraft appeared to belong to India.
Additionally, in Indian-administered Kashmir, locals and officials reported an unidentified aircraft crashing on Wednesday. Photos captured by AFP news agency indicated wreckage, though it remains unclear who the aircraft belonged to or the reason for its downing.
Since the deadly April 22 attack, both sides have engaged in daily exchanges of gunfire and shelling across the LoC, the de facto border in Kashmir.
Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have urged residents in high-risk areas to evacuate, with some individuals telling CNN they are taking refuge in underground shelters.
The strikes have disrupted air travel and created confusion, leading Pakistan to intermittently close parts of its airspace. Many major international airlines are steering clear of traversing over Pakistan.
Kashmir, primarily a Muslim region, has historically been a contentious issue between India and Pakistan since both achieved independence from Britain in 1947.
Following the tumultuous partition of British India, the predominantly Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan both claim Kashmir in its entirety, leading them to engage in three wars over the territory shortly after they gained independence.
With its division, the region has transformed into one of the most militarized locations globally.
India has a long-standing accusation against Pakistan, alleging the country harbors militant organizations that conduct cross-border attacks, a claim that Islamabad consistently denies.
The massacre in the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam in April incited widespread outrage in India, exerting substantial pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government.
India promptly shifted blame to Islamabad, leading to a series of retaliatory actions where both nations lowered diplomatic ties, revoked visas for each other’s citizens, and mandated India to withdraw from a critical water-sharing agreement.
The last war over Kashmir in 1999 resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 Pakistani soldiers, even using the most conservative estimates.
In the years that followed, the two countries have clashed several times, with the most recent incident in 2019 when India executed airstrikes in Pakistan after attributing blame to Islamabad for a car bomb attack in the region.
Yet, these recent skirmishes have not escalated into full-blown war, as both parties understand the dangers; since 1999, both nations have reinforced their military capabilities, including acquiring nuclear arsenals.
The latest strikes have triggered global concern and calls for both nations to avoid further escalation.
Countries including the United Arab Emirates, China, Russia, Turkey, and Japan are urging both sides to ease tensions, while United Nations leaders have expressed similar worries, and prominent activists like Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai have advocated for peace.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated his willingness to aid in the cessation of violence, expressing on Wednesday, “I get along with both. I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out.”
CNN’s Hira Humayun and Nic Robertson contributed to this story.