Civilian casualties mount as Indian strikes kill 13 in Kashmir

At least 13 people were killed and more than 50 injured in Indian missile strikes on Pakistani-administered Kashmir, according to Reuters, citing Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority.

The escalation, which began overnight on May 10, marks one of the most dangerous flare-ups in recent years between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The Indian military reportedly launched a series of coordinated missile strikes targeting multiple Pakistani airbases. In response, the Pakistani Armed Forces condemned the attack as a “highly dangerous development” and warned it could destabilise the region. The government of Pakistan, calling the assault an act of aggression, announced the launch of a large-scale counteroffensive titled "Banyan ul Marsoos" — which translates as “unbreakable wall.”

Pakistan’s security sources claim that their retaliatory strikes have inflicted substantial damage on India’s military infrastructure. Among the most significant targets, according to Islamabad, was a BrahMos missile storage site in the Beas region, along with two key airfields at Udhampur and Pathankot. These sites, Pakistan alleges, were used to launch attacks on civilian areas and religious sites, including mosques.

“All those bases in India which were used to attack Pakistani people and mosques are being targeted,” a military spokesperson declared.

Further strikes reportedly hit the Brigade Headquarters known as “K G Top” and a major supply depot in Uri, both said to be “completely ruined.” Pakistani sources also claim that a cyber operation was launched in parallel with the military assault, temporarily disabling up to 70 per cent of India’s national electricity grid — a claim that could not be independently verified.

Security officials in Islamabad stated that the Udhampur airfield was a particular focus due to its alleged use in missile strikes on Sikh population centres in Amritsar and elsewhere. Artillery positions in Dehrangyari and another BrahMos storage facility in Nagrota were also targeted and “destroyed, inflicting heavy losses,” according to Pakistan.

“Multiple targets are being engaged in the operation,” one security source said, adding that early reports point to “heavy enemy casualties.”

Perhaps the most dramatic claim is the destruction of an Indian S-400 air defence battery stationed at Adampur. Pakistan says it used JF-17 Thunder fighter jets armed with hypersonic missiles to carry out the precision strike. The S-400 system, estimated to be worth $1.5 billion, is considered a pillar of India’s air defence capabilities, and its reported loss would represent a major strategic blow.

Additional targets said to have been destroyed include the Sirsa airfield, which Pakistani officials say has been “confirmed destroyed by Indian media itself,” and the Indian Military Intelligence training centre in Rajouri, which Pakistan accuses of coordinating cross-border subversion. The Bathinda airfield has also been declared destroyed by Pakistani sources.

By Tamilla Hasanova