All-out war between India and Pakistan looks all but confirmed as tension between the two nations erupts following an Indian airstrike that killed at least eight people and injured over 30 others. The Indian Ministry of Defence announced the attack on Wednesday morning, saying it had struck nine sites in Pakistan as part of the newly established “Operation Sindoor.” The government stated the strikes were in retaliation for “terrorist attacks against India,” claiming the targets hit were locations “from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.”
In a statement, the Indian government elaborated, “A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched ‘OPERATION SINDOOR’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.” They emphasized that their actions were “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature,” asserting that no Pakistani military facilities had been targeted. The Indian government claimed to have demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and the method of execution.
Pakistan, however, has claimed that multiple Indian Air Force jets and drones were shot down during the attacks, with reports suggesting up to five jets may have been hit. Unverified video claiming to show a Pakistani JF-17 fighter jet has emerged on social media, adding to the tension. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the airstrikes, stating, “The deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks at five locations in Pakistan,” and affirmed that his country would retaliate. “Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” Sharif asserted. He emphasized that his country and its armed forces “know very well how to deal with the enemy.”
Witnesses and one police officer at two sites on the frontier in Indian Kashmir reported hearing loud explosions and intense artillery shelling as well as jets in the air. An emergency was declared in Pakistan’s populous province of Punjab, its chief minister said, and hospitals and emergency services were on high alert. In a related development, US President Donald Trump described the situation as “a shame” and expressed hope that it would end quickly. “I hope it ends quickly,” Trump told White House reporters, acknowledging the escalation of hostilities.
Following the airstrikes, Pakistan closed its airspace for 48 hours, suspending flights at Islamabad and Lahore airports. Multiple airlines, including Qatar and Air India, either canceled or diverted flights due to the heightened tensions.
India’s offensive occurred amid heightened tensions following an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month, where Islamist assailants killed 26 individuals in what has been described as the worst violence targeting civilians in India in nearly two decades. The name of India’s military operation, Sindoor, is an apparent reference to the women who lost their spouses in the attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam last month. Sindoor is the Hindi term for the traditional red vermilion worn by married Hindu women on their foreheads, symbolizing protection and marital commitment. Women traditionally stop wearing it when they are widowed.
In a calibrated military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian armed forces launched “focused and precise” missile strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) under Operation Sindoor. This operation targeted infrastructure linked to three major terror outfits: Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen. Significant targets included the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur, located around 100 km from the international border, and the Lashkar facility in Muridke, known for its connections to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The strikes were executed at various locations, including the Tangdhar sector, where missiles hit the Sawai camp, a LeT hub linked to multiple high-profile attacks. Intelligence inputs had reportedly enabled the Indian military to identify each target following extensive surveillance. Sources confirmed that the strikes were successful and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was closely monitoring Operation Sindoor.
The operation marks India’s most significant military action within Pakistani territory in over five decades, with the last comparable strike occurring during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. Of the nine locations targeted, four were situated within Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, indicating a comprehensive approach to addressing the perceived terrorist threats.
In the aftermath of India’s military strikes, a wave of misinformation has emerged from Pakistani media and government-affiliated sources. Numerous claims have circulated asserting that Pakistan retaliated by launching missile strikes at multiple locations inside India, including the Srinagar Airbase. However, these claims have been flagged as misinformation by independent analysts and fact-checkers, who noted that no credible evidence supports these assertions.
In a video shared by several pro-Pakistan handles, it was falsely claimed that the Pakistan Air Force had targeted the Srinagar airbase. The Press Information Bureau of India fact-checked this claim, stating that the video was old and not from India, but rather from sectarian clashes that took place in 2024 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Despite the lack of substantiation, the posts were amplified by several mainstream Pakistani media outlets.
The Indian Ministry of Defence characterized Operation Sindoor as “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” explicitly stating that no Pakistani civilian or military targets were attacked. The intent was to hold the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack accountable. Following the strikes, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed his US counterpart and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the evidence linking Pakistan-based terrorist groups to the Pahalgam attack, with similar briefings provided to key allies, including Russia, the UK, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
As the situation continues to develop, the international community watches closely, aware that the fragile peace between India and Pakistan hangs in the balance. The stakes are high, and the potential for escalation remains a significant concern.
