India-Pakistan Clash: Missiles Fired, Eight Dead as Islamabad Decries "Act of War"

On Wednesday morning, India fired missiles into regions under Pakistani control, leading to the death of at least eight individuals, one of whom was a child. This incident has been characterized as an act of war by Pakistan’s leadership.

India claims it has struck areas used by militants linked to the recent tourist massacre in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.

As per an announcement made by the Indian army, cross-border firing from Pakistan led to the death of a minimum of three civilians in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Tensions have escalated dramatically between the two nuclear-armed neighboring nations after last week's assault in Pahalgam resulted in 26 fatalities, an incident India blames on Pakistani backing.

Islamabad has rejected these allegations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the air strikes that took place on Wednesday, denouncing them as cowardly attacks by a deceitful opponent, and stated that his country will react appropriately.

"Pakistan has all the justification to deliver a firm reaction to this act of aggression initiated by India, and such a decisive response is certainly underway," Sharif stated.

Sharif has requested an urgent meeting of the National Security Committee set for Wednesday morning to address the attacks and devise a Pakistani reaction.

Stephane Dujarric, the United Nations spokesperson, said in a statement late Tuesday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border” and called for maximum military restraint from both countries.

“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the statement read.

The missiles struck six sites in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the eastern Punjab province, killing at least eight and injuring more than three dozen others, according to Pakistan’s army spokesperson.

One missile struck a mosque in Bahawalpur, Punjab, killing a child on impact. Other missiles targeted areas near Muridke in Punjab and Kotli in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Officials in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have announced a state of emergency in the hospitals of the region.

Classes in schools across Kashmir and Punjab were also cancelled in the wake of the attack. Seminaries in Kashmir were closed earlier in preparation for a potential assault by India.

The Indian Defence Ministry reported that at least nine locations were targeted where plans for terrorist attacks against India were allegedly devised.

“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the statement said, adding that “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”

The military stated that the mission was titled "Sindoor," which is Hindi for the vibrant red vermilion paste applied by married Hindu women on their foreheads and hair. This alludes to the women who witnessed their spouses being murdered before their eyes.

Pakistan retaliates

The Indian Army reported that three civilians lost their lives due to indiscriminate firing by Pakistani forces, which included both gunfire and artillery shelling across the Line of Control, the unofficial border separating the disputed region of Kashmir between the two nations, as well as their international border.

The army added that it was taking measures in a proportionate manner. Following India's military actions, an aircraft crashed into a school building on the outskirts of the primary city in Indian-administered Kashmir, as confirmed by local police and residents.

State-run Pakistan Television quoting senior security officials reported that the nation's air force has downed five Indian aircraft in response, although further details were not disclosed.

India has yet to respond to Pakistan's assertion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad asserted that Indian forces initiated the attacks from within their own airspace.