India launched military operations against Pakistan early Wednesday in response to a deadly attack that killed 26 Indian tourists in April. The action, named “Operation Sindoor,” has sharply increased tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, with both sides now trading accusations and threats.
According to Indian military officials, the operation began in the early hours of May 7 and lasted about 25 minutes. Nine locations were targeted in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India claims it struck only terrorist training sites belonging to militant groups Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Officials also stated that no civilian, military, or economic infrastructure was damaged during the mission.
Indian authorities have blamed the earlier massacre in the scenic Indian-administered Kashmir region on militants backed by Pakistan, though Islamabad has strongly denied any involvement.
The April attack targeted a tourist group, most of whom were men, leaving several women widowed. The name of India’s operation—Sindoor—may be a symbolic reference to this, as the red powder, worn by married Hindu women, traditionally represents their marital status.
Pakistan has presented a very different account of the airstrikes. Military officials in Islamabad claimed that India launched 24 missiles hitting six different locations. Some of these strikes, according to Pakistan, landed in densely populated areas, including Punjab province. They say the strikes represent the deepest incursion by Indian forces into Pakistani territory since the 1971 war.
A spokesperson for Pakistan’s military, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, reported that at least 26 civilians, including children and teenagers, were killed in the strikes. The youngest victim was just three years old. An additional 46 people were reported injured. Reuters carried the official statement.
Pakistan also claimed to have shot down five Indian Air Force jets and one drone. Among the jets were reportedly three Rafales, which are considered among the most advanced in India’s fleet. No evidence of the downed aircraft has been independently verified. India has not responded to the claims or acknowledged any losses.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses in Indian-administered Kashmir reported that an unidentified aircraft crashed in the village of Wuyan. Images published by AFP showed debris in a field next to a red-brick building, though the origin of the aircraft is still unclear.
Tensions are rising swiftly, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declaring India’s strikes as “an act of war.” He added, “Pakistan has every right to respond.”
