Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard near the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35 kms from Indian city of Amritsar on May 7, 2025 (Photo by AFP)
India and Pakistan have started heavy artillery exchanges along their contested frontier, after New Delhi launched missile strikes on its arch-rival in a major escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Deaths were reported on both sides. Pakistan said Indian strikes had killed at least eight people, and India said Pakistani artillery fire had killed three civilians along the de facto border in contested Kashmir.
Two weeks after the deadly Pahalgam attack, India has launched a series of airstrikes on sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir killing at least 26 civilians and wounding 46 others, according to Pakistani officials.
In response, Indian authorities said, Pakistani shelling in Indian-administered Kashmir resulted in 10 fatalities and 48 injuries early Wednesday, marking a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities.
An Indian police official said at least 10 civilians were killed and 48 more injured in Wednesday's attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, a town near the de facto India-Pakistan border.
Islamabad said it shot down five Indian Air Force jets.
Tensions intensified after India launched "Operation Sindoor" at about 1 am on Wednesday, executing synchronized missile attacks against nine "terrorist facilities" across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
India says its missile strikes specifically targeted "militant infrastructure" in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and eastern Punjab province of the country.
An Indian defense ministry statement said the operation came in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, that killed 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen on April 22.
In a post-strike video shared on X, the Indian army said its operations was "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature."
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of authorizing the military action primarily to "shore up" his political support at home.
"The retaliation has already started. We won't take long to settle the score," Asif said.
According to reports, heavy shelling has now resumed on the Line of Control that separates Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir.
India has blamed armed groups for the Pahalgam attack which it claims were backed by Pakistan. Islamabad has been denying any role in the attack.
