Pakistan accuses India of attack on Neelum-Jhelum Dam in overnight strikes Photo

India launched a series of unprovoked overnight attacks on Pakistani territory, damaging the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project and killing at least 26 civilians, Pakistan’s military has claimed.

In a press briefing on May 7 morning, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), accused India of “another regrettable act” following what he described as an earlier, unprovoked assault on Pakistani soil between May 6 and 7, Caliber.Az reports per Pakistani media.

"Do international and war laws allow targeting the water reserves of a country?" he asked, after confirming that the Neelum-Jhelum Dam had been hit in the latest strikes.

The ISPR chief said Indian forces targeted six different locations, including mosques and residential areas. The attacks, according to the Pakistani military, resulted in 26 deaths and left 46 people injured.

Lt Gen Chaudhry specifically pointed to the deliberate targeting of places of worship, including three mosques in Ahmedpur East and Muridke. “This is a clear reflection of the Hindutva mindset of the Modi government,” he said, strongly condemning the strikes.

Among the casualties were a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy killed at Masjid Abbas, while a mother and daughter were also wounded. In another incident in Ahmedpur East, 37 people – including nine women and three young girls – were injured when a mosque was struck. Three men were killed and one wounded in Muridke when a third mosque came under fire.

Along the Line of Control (LoC), Indian shelling reportedly killed five more civilians, including a child. However, according to the ISPR, Indian attacks in Sialkot and Shakargarh caused no casualties or property damage.

“These were the same locations where local and foreign media personnel visited on May 6 and saw that there was nothing there,” the ISPR chief said. He added that further media visits to Muridke and Bahawalpur had been scheduled for May 7 to ensure transparency.

The military spokesperson also revealed that at the time of the strikes, several domestic and international commercial flights were passing through Pakistani airspace, with thousands of passengers on board.

In response to the Indian strikes, Pakistan’s armed forces launched retaliatory attacks. The ISPR chief claimed that the Pakistan Air Force had shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale and one MiG-29 aircraft, in areas such as Bathinda, Jammu, and Srinagar.

"The Indian planes were shot down when the enemy attacked Pakistan," Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

Pakistan Army units also targeted Indian military infrastructure, reportedly destroying key positions, including the Indian Infantry Brigade Headquarters and check posts at Danna, Gafdar, Dodhial, Chhatri, and Khaki Tekri.

In the Badori sector, 50 Indian soldiers were said to have fled from a position known as Jolly Post amid Pakistan’s counteroffensive.

“Our armed forces gave a befitting response quickly,” he stated. “The Pakistan Air Force did not allow any Indian aircraft to enter our territory. All Pakistani military and strategic assets remain completely safe.”

The Pakistani government has called the Indian action a “regrettable and cowardly act”, saying it constitutes a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement and a dangerous escalation along the LoC.

"Pakistan does not want war but is fully prepared to defend itself," Lt Gen Chaudhry warned, urging regional and global stakeholders to take note of what he described as India’s provocative behaviour.

By Aghakazim Guliyev