Wafric News – May 7, 2025

New Delhi, India - Two weeks after a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, India has launched a series of airstrikes against targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes, part of a military operation named "Operation Sindoor", come as India vows to hold those responsible for the 22 April attack accountable.

The attack in Pahalgam, which killed 25 Indians and one Nepali national, has drawn sharp reactions from both nations. India’s Defence Ministry stated that the strikes were aimed at "terrorist infrastructure" linked to the attack. In contrast, Pakistan has called the strikes "unprovoked" and vowed retaliation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the strikes as an "act of aggression" and warned that it would not go unpunished.

Cross-Border Tensions Escalate

According to Pakistan's military, the airstrikes resulted in the downing of five Indian aircraft and a drone, though India has yet to confirm these claims. The Pakistani military reports at least 26 deaths and 46 injuries from the strikes, while India has countered, claiming that at least seven civilians were killed in shelling from Pakistan.

Indian officials stated that nine sites were targeted early Wednesday morning in both Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan. These sites were described as locations where attacks were "planned and directed." India emphasized that it had avoided targeting Pakistani military facilities, describing its actions as "focused and measured."

Pakistani officials, however, maintain that civilian areas were hit, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif asserting that India’s claims of targeting "terrorist camps" were untrue.

The Trigger: The Pahalgam Attack

The strikes follow weeks of escalating tensions after the 22 April attack on tourists in Pahalgam, a popular resort town in Indian-administered Kashmir. The assault, carried out by a group of militants, left 26 people dead. Eyewitnesses reported that the militants specifically targeted Hindu men, marking it as the worst civilian attack in the region in two decades.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to bring the attackers to justice, stating that they would be hunted “to the ends of the Earth.” However, despite widespread speculation, no group has been officially named as the perpetrator, and the exact identity of the attackers remains unclear. Indian authorities have suggested that two of the militants were Pakistani nationals, further straining relations.

Pakistan has firmly denied any involvement in the attack, accusing India of making unfounded allegations and using the incident as a pretext for military escalation. In the weeks following the attack, both countries have exchanged diplomatic blows, expelling diplomats, suspending visas, and closing border crossings.

Kashmir: A Long-Standing Flashpoint

The conflict over Kashmir has been a major source of tension between India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947. The region is claimed in full by both nations, though each controls only parts of it. Over the decades, the two countries have fought multiple wars over the region, with the situation further complicated by an ongoing insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir.

This latest escalation is not the first time Kashmir has ignited a broader conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Previous incidents, such as the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Pulwama bombing, led to military strikes and aerial dogfights between India and Pakistan, raising international concern over the potential for full-scale war.

In 2019, after the Pulwama bombing, India launched airstrikes deep inside Pakistan's Balakot region, marking the first time since 1971 that India had targeted a location within Pakistan. The strikes led to retaliatory actions, but both countries eventually backed down, avoiding a major military conflict.

The World Watches

As both nations continue to exchange blows, global leaders are urging restraint. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “maximum restraint” from both sides, while US President Donald Trump expressed hopes that the conflict would “end very quickly.”

The situation remains fragile, and the international community is closely monitoring the developments, fearful that any further escalation could push the two nuclear-armed nations into a full-blown conflict.


By WafricNews Desk.