In the early hours of Wednesday, May 7, 2025, the Pakistan Army officially confirmed that Indian Armed Forces conducted missile strikes at multiple locations within Pakistani territory, including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and the Ahmed East area of Bahawalpur.

According to Pakistan’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, these strikes resulted in the death of one child and left a man and a woman seriously injured. Additional reports from Pakistani military sources indicated that a total of five to six locations were targeted, with further casualties reported-at least eight people killed and 35 injured, including strikes on mosques in some areas.

Lt Gen Chaudhry stated that the attacks were executed from within Indian airspace and emphasised that Indian aircraft did not physically enter Pakistani airspace. In immediate response, the Pakistan Air Force scrambled its jets, and all available air assets were airborne to counter any further threats.

The military spokesperson declared that Pakistan’s response would be determined at a time and place of its choosing, underscoring the gravity with which the incident is being treated by Islamabad.

Following the strikes, local media in Muzaffarabad reported a complete blackout, and the situation on the ground remained tense as damage assessments continued. The Pakistani Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, described the attack as an "act of war" and warned that a clash with India had become "inevitable" and could occur "at any moment".

The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed the launch of "Operation Sindoor," stating that the strikes were a direct response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.

India claimed that nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir were targeted, specifically focusing on terrorist infrastructure and avoiding Pakistani military facilities. The Ministry emphasised that the operation was "focused, measured and non-escalatory," and that considerable restraint was exercised in the selection of targets and execution methods.

Indian Armed Forces reportedly used Rafale fighter jets equipped with Scalp cruise missiles for the precision strikes, with major targets including the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters in Bahawalpur and a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muridke. The Indian Army, via official channels, asserted that "justice is served" and reaffirmed its readiness to respond to cross-border terrorism.

In the aftermath, Pakistan claimed to have downed at least two, and possibly up to five, Indian Air Force jets during the ensuing aerial engagement, though there was no immediate confirmation from Indian authorities regarding these losses. Both sides have since imposed significant airspace restrictions, leading to the cancellation or diversion of numerous commercial flights in the region.

The situation remains highly volatile, with both nuclear-armed neighbours exchanging strong rhetoric and military posturing. Pakistan has vowed a response, while India maintains that its actions were necessary and proportionate, aimed solely at neutralising terrorist threats emanating from across the border. The international community is closely monitoring developments, given the risk of further escalation in one of the world’s most sensitive flashpoints.

Agencies