Indian airstrikes on Pakistan kill 26 civilians 46 injured / updated

Pakistan's army chief has said 26 civilians died and 46 were injured in the Indian attack late on May 5.

India's military said it struck infrastructure used by militants in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media.

India said the operation targeted at least nine sites "where terrorist attacks against India have been planned" and were meant to "deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attacks."

India called "non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible."

09:30 

On May 6, India launched airstrikes on targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in what it described as retaliation for last month’s deadly attack on Hindu pilgrims in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Pakistan responded by claiming to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, marking the worst flare-up between the two nations in over two decades, Caliber.Az reports, citing Western and Pakistani media outlets.

India said it conducted "Operation Sindoor," targeting nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites linked to Islamist groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba—two organisations India holds responsible for the killing of 26 Hindu tourists in Kashmir.

A senior Indian defence source said the strikes hit the headquarters of both groups.

Pakistan, however, reported that six sites were targeted by Indian missiles, but denied they were militant camps. The Pakistani military stated that eight civilians had been killed and 35 injured in the attacks. It branded the Indian action a “blatant act of war.”

In response, Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian jets, including three Rafale fighters, one Su-30, and one MiG-29. While India has not confirmed the losses, four local government sources in Kashmir said that three fighter aircraft crashed in different locations in the region overnight. All three pilots were reportedly hospitalized.

“This was a defensive engagement,” said Pakistani military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. “Pakistan remains a very responsible state. However, we will take all the steps necessary for defending the honour, integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan, at all cost.”

A state of emergency has been declared in Pakistan's Punjab province, said the region's governor, Bhagwant Mann, noting that security forces and health facilities in Punjab have been placed on high alert.

The situation on the ground remained tense, with reports of heavy shelling and gunfire along the Line of Control in the disputed Himalayan region.

Pakistan has closed its airspace for 48 hours, resulting in significant disruption to air traffic. Islamabad International Airport is closed, and flights are being redirected to Karachi.

International reactions have been swift. U.S. President Donald Trump called the fighting "a shame" and expressed hope that it would end quickly. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, through a spokesperson, urged both countries to exercise "maximum military restraint."

The United Nations Security Council has been notified by Islamabad of its position and its right to respond to Indian aggression.

Notably, the two nuclear-armed neighbours are experiencing a period of heightened tensions since the April 22 attack on tourists in the scenic resort town in IIOJK, in which at least 26 people were killed.

New Delhi linked Islamabad to the attack without offering any evidence and took a flurry of punitive measures to downgrade ties, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, revoking visas of Pakistanis, and closing Wagah-Attari border crossing among others.

Islamabad, in response, ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and closing the main border crossing from its side.

Pakistan also denies its involvement in the attack and offered to take part in a credible and transparent investigation.

By Khagan Isayev