India Launches Missile Strikes on Pakistan, Citing Terror Targets, Islamabad Vows Retaliation

In a dramatic escalation of regional tensions, India has launched missile strikes into Pakistan, claiming to have targeted terrorist camps responsible for a deadly attack on Indian civilians in Kashmir. According to Indian officials, the operation was “measured and precise,” aiming at camps operated by groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the eastern Punjab province. The offensive follows the killing of 26 Indian tourists in Pahalgam, a tragedy India blames on cross-border militant groups.

Pakistan swiftly condemned the strikes, calling them an “act of war.” Authorities in Islamabad reported civilian casualties, including a child killed in a mosque in Bahawalpur. In response, Pakistan says it downed five Indian jets and a surveillance drone while launching its own airstrikes. Power outages, airspace closures, and artillery exchanges along the Line of Control have further fueled fears of full-scale conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Both governments have summoned emergency security meetings, while international leaders including the UN and the United States call for calm. With tensions at their highest in years, analysts warn that the situation could spiral into a larger and more dangerous confrontation without immediate diplomatic intervention.