India’s military says it launched “Operation Sindoor“, striking nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, after which Islamabad said it had retaliated by striking Indian military targets, including downing several warplanes.
The Indian strike and counterattack by Pakistan come amid soaring tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after a deadly attack last month on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, which denied any involvement.
India’s government said in a statement early on Wednesday that its military had attacked “terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed”.
“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” it said.
Pakistani officials said at least eight people were killed and more than 35 injured in India’s attacks. The missiles struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the country’s eastern Punjab province.
Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said the cities of Muzaffarabad and Kotli, both in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, were among the targets of the Indian strikes.
“Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to a foreign TV network, confirmed that at least five Indian aircraft have been shot down and that a number of Indian soldiers have been taken prisoner,” Hyder said.
“Pakistan said that it would respond to any Indian attack against Pakistan, and Pakistan is now responding to that Indian attack,” he said.
“Heavy shelling has now resumed on the Line of Control that separates Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir,” he added.
A Pakistani military spokesman had earlier told the broadcaster Geo that at least five locations, including two mosques, had been hit. He had also said that Pakistan’s response was under way, without providing details.
