India Launches Missile Strikes on Six Locations in Pakistan; Islamabad Responds by Air and Land

Amid heightened tensions over the Kashmir attack, India launched missile strikes on six locations in Pakistan late Tuesday night. At least eight people were killed and 35 injured in the attacks. In response, Pakistan launched counterattacks the same night.

The Pakistan Army claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets involved in the attacks. It also claimed to have destroyed an Indian Army brigade headquarters and a security checkpoint in Kashmir.

According to the Indian Army, three civilians were killed by shells fired by Pakistani forces in Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned India's missile strikes as “cowardly” and vowed an appropriate response.

U.S. President Donald Trump called the Indian strike “disappointing” and expressed hope that the crisis would be resolved soon.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern over the escalating conflict, warning that a war between India and Pakistan would be catastrophic for the world. He urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint.

India said the missile strike was in retaliation for the April 22 attack in Kashmir, where 26 tourists were killed by gunmen. India claimed Pakistan took no action against the perpetrators, prompting this military response.

The missile strikes, carried out after 1 a.m. under the operation name “Operation Sindoor,” targeted nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian missiles struck six locations in Pakistan: Sialkot, Bahawalpur, and Muridke in Punjab, and Muzaffarabad, Bagh, and Kotli in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir.

The Indian military stated that it did not target any Pakistani military installations.

Indian news agency PTI reported that the strikes targeted the headquarters of Pakistan-based militant groups—Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke—as well as other militant hideout.