India launched missile strikes on multiple locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir early Wednesday, escalating hostilities between the two nuclear-armed nations and drawing condemnation from Islamabad, which described the attacks as an "act of war."
The strikes, conducted under the codename "Operation Sindoor," targeted what India's Ministry of Defence called "terrorist infrastructure" in nine locations, including Kotli, Muzaffarabad, and Bahawalpur. The ministry described the operation as "focused, measured, and non-escalatory," emphasizing that no Pakistani military installations were targeted.
Pakistan reported that six sites were hit and confirmed at least eight deaths, including a three-year-old child, with 35 others injured. The Pakistani military said its forces responded "from the air and ground." Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated, "Pakistan has every right to respond forcefully to this act of war imposed by India, and a forceful response is being given."
The missile strikes came more than two weeks after a massacre in Pahalgam, a scenic region in Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 civilians-primarily Indian tourists. India has accused Pakistan of harboring the militants responsible, a charge Islamabad denies.
India's army, following the strikes, posted on X: "Justice is served. Jai Hind!"
This is the deepest Indian strike inside Pakistani territory since the 1971 war, with targets in densely populated Punjab province, including Ahmadpur East and Muridke. The attacks mark the first Indian military action on Pakistani soil since 2019, when Indian jets responded to a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel.
Pakistani sources said its forces shot down at least two Indian Air Force planes. Loud explosions were reported in both Pakistan-administered and Indian-administered Kashmir. A CNN journalist confirmed hearing multiple blasts near Muzaffarabad.
The United States said it is "closely monitoring" developments. "We are aware of the reports, however we have no assessment to offer at this time," a State Department official said. President Donald Trump, speaking at the Oval Office, called the situation "a shame," adding, "I just hope it ends very quickly."
India's government has briefed counterparts in the U.S., U.K., Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Russia, according to senior Indian officials.
The renewed violence comes amid rapidly deteriorating relations between the two countries. India recently suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty and closed a major border crossing, while Pakistan expelled Indian diplomats and warned that water diversion would constitute an act of war.
Both countries have closed their airspace to each other's airlines, and small-scale exchanges of fire have taken place along the Line of Control in recent days.
