India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in multiple locations early Wednesday, killing at least eight people including a child, Pakistani authorities said. India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Wednesday’s airstrikes and said the “deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks at five locations in Pakistan” and 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 said.
He said his country and its armed forces “know very well how to deal with the enemy.”
The missiles struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country’s eastern Punjab province.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, said India launched attacks on six different locations, killing eight people and injuring 38 others.
A deadly militant attack targeting tourists in the disputed territory of Kashmir has added fuel to longstanding tensions between India and Pakistan, pushing them to the brink of war. CBC’s South Asia correspondent Salimah Shivji breaks down why the attack has stoked fears of wider conflict between two nuclear powers.
The state-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said Pakistan’s air force shot down two Indian jets, but provided no additional details.
Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Indian forces had launched the strikes while staying in Indian airspace. Other locations hit were near Muridke in Punjab and Kotli in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
It said the attack reportedly resulted in civilian casualties and posed a significant threat to commercial air traffic.
“This reckless escalation has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict,” the statement said.
Several airlines including India’s largest airline, IndiGo, Air India and Qatar Airways cancelled flights in areas of India and Pakistan due to closures of airports and airspace.
The strikes came amid soaring tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours over last month’s militant attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India has blamed Pakistan for backing the militant attack, which Islamabad has denied.
Geopolitical analyst Michael Kugelman said that “these are some of the most high-intensity Indian strikes in Pakistan in years, and Pakistan’s response will surely pack a punch, as well.”
“These are two strong militaries that, even with nuclear weapons as a deterrent, are not afraid to deploy sizeable levels of conventional military force against each other. The escalation risks are real. And they could well increase, and quickly,” Kugelman said in an interview with The Associated Press.
India’s Defence Ministry said at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.”
“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the statement said, adding that “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”
“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the statement said.
Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, convened a meeting of the national security committee for Wednesday morning, according to a government announcement.
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement late Tuesday that UN Secretary General António Guterres was very concerned about Indian military operations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and called for maximum military restraint from both countries.
“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile in the city of Muzaffarabad, resident Abdul Sammad said he heard several explosions and some people were wounded in the attack. Residents were seen running in panic and authorities immediately cut power.
The blasts ripped through walls. Locals inspected the damage to their homes in the aftermath of the missile attacks, with rubble and other debris crunching underfoot. People took refuge on the streets and in open areas, fearful of what might happen.
“We were afraid the next missile might hit our house,” said Mohammad Ashraf.
Waqar Noor, the interior minister in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said authorities declared an emergency in the region’s hospitals.
Pakistan shut schools in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province after the missile strikes. It had already had closed religious seminaries in Kashmir in anticipation of an attack by India.
