Nuclear war can break out at any time amid Pak-India standoff: Pak defence minister
We are ending live coverage of the India-Pakistan conflict for today. Scroll below to learn what happened on on Wednesday (7 May). Check back in later for any latest updates.
Here are the highlights of the developments so far:
- 26 civilians killed, 46 wounded, Pakistan says
- India says 15 civilians killed, 48 injured by Pakistan
- India's army says it hit nine sites in Pakistan
- Pakistan says five Indian aircraft shot down
- IndiGo, Air India, other airlines suspend flights
- People living in India's Jammu and Kashmir asked to leave
- Pakistan blocks 16 Indian YouTube news channels, 32 websites for 'spreading propaganda'
- Pakistan authorises armed forces to carry out 'corresponding actions' against India
The possibility of a nuclear war between Pakistan and India is definitely present, and it can occur if there is a standoff between the two sides, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said today (7 May), reports DAWN.
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"If they [India] impose an all-out war on the region and if such dangers arise in which there is a standoff, then at any time a nuclear war can break out," he said in an interview to Geo News.
He further said: "If they [India] aggravate this [matter] then if a chance of war arises in which there is a sign of nuclear option being used on both sides, then the responsibility for that will be on India."
12:30am
Pakistan's army says the death toll from India's strikes has risen to 31
An army spokesman said a further 46 people were injured, reports Reuters.
12:00am
Pakistan's PM: India 'will now have to pay the price'
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been making a late evening televised address to the nation, reports Reuters.
"For the blatant mistake that India made last night, it will now have to pay the price. Perhaps they thought that we would retreat, but they forgot that by the grace of Allah, this is a nation of brave people whose determination is made of steel," he said.
10:18pm
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the nation at 9:30pm (Pakistan local time) amid the recent escalation in tensions between Pakistan and India, DAWN reports citing a statement from the Pak Prime Minister's Office.
Speaking in the National Assembly earlier today, the Pakistan premier called on all political leaders to come and sit together to make Pakistan a "united nation".
10:10pm
American Airlines has cancelled its flight from New York to Delhi amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Reuters reports.
The airline stated that it is closely monitoring the situation and, as a precautionary measure, will reposition an aircraft out of Delhi with only crew members on board.
Earlier in the day, United Airlines said it had canceled its flight to New Delhi due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan and resulting airspace limitations.
9:30pm
The day after India launched strikes on Pakistan, India's ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Nalin Kohli said despite the escalating tensions, nobody wants war.
"Nobody wants a war," he told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme.
His remarks come amid rising concerns over the possibility for further conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
However, he said India will not "stay away from protecting [the] rights" of its citizens and "ensuring that Indian blood is not spilled…in a power game, based on a network that supports terrorists or breeds terrorists".
He asserted that India only struck sites that he claims are "directly associated with terrorist groups", and did not target "anything to do with the Pakistani military".
9:00pm
People living in India's Jammu and Kashmir asked to leave
People living along border areas in India's Jammu and Kashmir have been asked to shift to safe places, local police told Reuters.
8:30pm
Pakistan blocks 16 Indian YouTube news channels, 32 websites for 'spreading propaganda'
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has "blocked 16 Indian YouTube news channels, 31 YouTube video links, and 32 websites for disseminating false information and anti-Pakistan propaganda", reports DAWN.
This action has been taken in light of the prevailing regional situation to safeguard national security and protect Pakistan's digital ecosystem, the PTA said in a statement.
According to the statement, "The blocked content was found to be spreading misleading and harmful narratives aimed at manipulating public perception and undermining national unity."
It stated that this move is part of the PTA's continued efforts to combat disinformation and ensure the responsible use of digital platforms.
"PTA remains committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and trustworthy internet environment for telecom users in Pakistan. The authority will continue to actively monitor online content and take firm action against any material that threatens the country's national interests," reads the statement.
8:15pm
All of Pakistan's airports remain fully operational, the country's aviation authority said today, reports DAWN.
In a statement, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) stated that the country's airspace is also open and "secure for civil aviation activities".
"Pakistan has formally conveyed its concerns to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the serious risks posed to civil aviation safety by India's reckless and provocative actions," said the statement.
8:00pm
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised Indian military's precision strikes in Pakistan and PoK, targeting terrorist infrastructure.
"India has exercised its 'right to respond' to the attack on its soil. Our action has been taken very thoughtfully and in a measured manner," he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said India's actions following the Pahalgam attack, and including last night's airstrikes, look like a "choreographed exercise".
"But time will tell what the reality is," he said. The minister recalled that Pakistan received intel on a possible attack from India at around 10pm yesterday. "I want to clarify that Pakistan has exercised restraint even at the moment.
"There were instructions to only attack Indian jets that released a payload … this is why only five jets were taken down, if the direction had been otherwise, nearly 10-12 jets would have been struck down," Dar said.
7:40pm
Citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan has affirmed its right to self-defence and warned that it reserves the right to respond to India "at a time, place, and manner of its choosing" in retaliation for the loss of civilian lives and what it described as a violation of its sovereignty, reports BBC.
In an official statement, Pakistan added that its armed forces have been "fully authorised" to carry out "corresponding actions" in response.
The statement followed a meeting of Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The statement strongly condemned the strikes, extended condolences to the families of those killed, and vowed to respond to the "grave developments resulting from India's unprovoked, cowardly, and unlawful act of war."
It asserted that Pakistan's military had "resolutely defended" the nation's territorial integrity in the face of what it described as Indian aggression.
6:50pm
Pakistan's former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that Pakistan was not in favour of war, reports DAWN.
"But you attacked us, attacked innocent civilians, children and our land … now you will have to prepare because Pakistan's answer is yet to come," he said in his address to the parliament today (7 May).
"According to the United Nations Charter, Pakistan has the right to respond to this attack however it wants."
Bilawal also emphasised that the entire nation, across all provinces, stands united behind the prime minister and the armed forces.
6:20pm
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan exercised restraint in the face of India's strikes, reports DAWN.
"About 75-80 Indian fighter jets took part in the offensive, out of which Pakistan only shot down five jets releasing the payload, including two Indian drones," FM Dar said while speaking to the media outside parliament.
6:00pm
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is addressing a session of the Parliament amid escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, reports DAWN.
At the outset of his speech, the Pakistan premier said India used the dead and dark of the night to launch a "cowardly" attack on Pakistan, but the military gave them a tit-for-tat response.
During his address to the Parliament, Sharif also prayed for the high ranks of the civilians killed in Indian airstrikes on Pakistan's Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir last night.
He lamented that the "martyred" included not just women and men but also children.
He said India shifted the entire blame of the 22 April Pahalgam attack on Pakistan without any evidence.
"They tried to convince the entire world that, god forbid, Pakistan was involved in the incident," the Pakistan premier said.
He referred to the Jaffarabad Express hijacking that occurred two months ago, saying that the perpetrators had ties to India.
"We possess irrefutable evidence regarding it," he said, expressing regret that the neighbouring country mocked the incident in a manner that, he said, will be remembered in history.
5:40pm
The Indian Army has reported that artillery fire from Pakistan has resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians and left 43 injured since last night, reports BBC.
The shelling reportedly targeted civilian areas in Poonch and Tangdhar within Indian-administered Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Pakistan claims that 26 people have been killed in air strikes and cross-border firing, as previously reported.
5:03pm
The UK today (May 7) said it stands ready to support both India and Pakistan to move towards dialogue and de-escalation, after Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror targets in the neighbouring country under Operation Sindoor.
Speaking to the BBC, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds described the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as "hugely worrying" and said his Cabinet colleague, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, had "reached out" to both countries.
"Our message would be that we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries," said Reynolds.
"Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do."
4:08pm
Pakistan unequivocally condemns India's deadly strikes, declares them 'acts of war'
The National Security Committee meeting has issued a condemnation against the "illegal acts" by India declaring them as "blatant violations of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which manifestly constituted acts of war under international law".
"The deliberate targeting of civilians, including innocent women and children, by the Indian military constitutes a heinous and shameful crime, that is in violation of all norms of human behaviour and the provisions of international law."
03:10pm - Reuters
Who are Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed?
India said seven of its targets were camps used by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, both Islamist groups designated "terrorist" organisations by the UN Security Council.
New Delhi blamed last month's attack in Kashmir on a group linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist militant outfit based in Pakistan.
Pakistan denies any involvement in the Kashmir attack.
Jaish-e-Mohammad said that 10 relatives of its leader Masood Azhar were killed in an Indian attack overnight.
LASHKAR-E-TAIBA
Lashkar-e-Taiba, or the "army of the pure", is based in Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab and has long focused on fighting Indian rule in Kashmir.
The UN Security Council says it has conducted "numerous terrorist operations" including 2008 attacks in India's Mumbai that killed 166 as well as attacks on Mumbai commuter trains in 2006 and an attack on India's parliament in 2001.
Pakistan says the group has been banned and neutralised.
Arrested in 2019, LeT founder Hafiz Saeed was convicted of terrorism financing charges and is serving a 31-year jail term.
Critics say the group, rebranded in the guise of a charity, maintains a strong network in the region.
02:51pm - Reuters
'India has ignited an inferno in the region' says Pakistan's government security committee
02:49pm - Reuters
Pakistan Prime Minister's office says armed forces have been authorised to undertake corresponding actions after India's strikes
02:46pm - Reuters
10 relatives of Pakistan militant group leader killed, group says
Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad said that 10 relatives of its leader Masood Azhar were killed in an Indian attack.
There was no immediate comment from Indian or Pakistani authorities.
India attacked Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors..
02:40pm - Reuters
India's PM Modi postpones his trip to Croatia, the Netherlands and Norway, a source says
Modi was due to travel to Europe next week.
03:20pm
Chinese ambassador calls on Dar, exchanges views on regional security
Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar early this morning and discussed the ongoing developments between India and Pakistan.
During the meeting, Dar underscored Pakistan's firm resolve to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs. "The two sides exchanged views on regional security developments and agreed to maintain close coordination and communication across all relevant areas," a statement from the foreign affairs ministry said.
03:00pm
India briefs 5 countries
India today (7 May) briefed five countries about the launch of "Operation Sindoor", following retaliatory missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
India today (7 May) briefed five countries on the launch of 'Operation Sindoor', following a series of missile strikes targeting terror camps in Pakistan's Punjab province and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam attack.
The five nations are the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia, reports The Hindu.
02:12pm
Pakistan Army shoots down another Indian drone in Kotli: security sources
The Pakistan Army has shot down another Indian drone in Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, state-run PTV reports, citing security sources, reports Dawn.
"Earlier, Indian drones were also shot down in Barnala and Shakargarh sectors.
"The Pakistan Army is busy giving full response to every aggression of the enemy."
01.45pm - Reuters
China says it's closely monitoring developments
A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said the country was closely monitoring the developments in the tensions between India and Pakistan, and advised its citizens to avoid going to areas close to the conflict zone.
12:47pm
No Indian aircraft allowed to enter Pakistan, none of ours went into its airspace: DG ISPR
DG ISPR Gen Ahmed Chaudhry clarified that no Indian aircraft was allowed to enter Pakistan's airspace and none of Pakistan's jets went into the airspace, reports Dawn.
"At no time, any of their aircraft were allowed to enter into Pakistan's airspace and also at no time, none of Pakistan's aircraft went into Indian airspace," he told a media briefing.
Stating that the Pakistan Army responded fully to the Indian aggression and destroyed "several" Indian checkposts and showed footage of a brigade headquarters from where he said India was violating the LoC ceasefire.
Other checkposts hit included Chhatri, Jura and Sarlia-1, as well as a unit battalion headquarters.
12:32pm - Reuters
Russia calls for restraint
Russia's foreign ministry said it was deeply concerned about the deepening military confrontation between India and Pakistan, and that it called for both countries to show restraint.
In a statement published on the foreign ministry's website, it also said it condemned all forms of terrorism.
Russia has warm relations with both India and Pakistan.
12:19pm - Reuters
Pakistan says it has summoned the Indian Chargé d'Affaires
Pakistan's foreign ministry said the Chargé d'Affaires was summoned "to receive Pakistan's strong protest over the unprovoked Indian strikes at multiple locations across Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir."
"It was conveyed that India's blatant act of aggression constitutes a clear violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. Such actions are in contravention of the UN Charter,
International law, and established norms governing inter-state relations. Pakistan firmly rejected India's baseless justifications for its hostile conduct," it said in a statement.
"The Indian side was warned that such reckless behavior poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability."
11:41am - Reuters
Indian officials said they would not take any questions from reporters as it was an evolving situation.
11:14am - Reuters
India's foreign secretary Vikram Misri gave a press briefing to media:
- Pahalgam attack on tourists was aimed to disturb normalcy in Indian Kashmir
- India's intelligence has proof on Pakistan's role in Pahalgam attack
- Pakistan is a safe haven for 'terrorists'
- Today morning India responded to cross border terror
- The attack has been aimed at destroying terror infrastructure across border
11:00am - Reuters
Pakistan army chief says Pakistan will respond to India at a time, place and means of our own
10:57am - Reuters
Pakistan says 26 civilians killed in Indian attacks
Pakistan army chief says 26 civilians died and 46 are wounded due to Indian military action.
10:56am - Reuters
Police say 10 Indians killed in Pakistan attacks
10 people killed, 48 injured in Pakistani shelling on Indian Kashmir, an Indian police officer said.
10:22am - Reuters
Asian airlines re-route and cancel flights
Vietnam Airlines said that the tensions between India and Pakistan had affected its flight plans and would provide details regarding re-routing schedules later.
Korean Air said it had began rerouting its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights on Wednesday, opting for a southern route that passes over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, instead of the previous path through Pakistani airspace.
Thai Airways said that flights to destinations in Europe and South Asia would be rerouted starting early Wednesday morning, warning this could cause delays to some flights.
Taiwan's China Airlines said it had activated its contingency plan and "taken a series of measures to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew." It did not elaborate. The website of Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside of Taipei, showed that Wednesday's China Airlines non-stop flight to London had been canceled.
10:13am - Reuters
Indian briefing starts soon
India's government says it will hold a press briefing on its operation against Pakistan in about 30 minutes in New Delhi.
We'll be bringing you coverage as it happens.
9:54am - Reuters
'Concerned' China calls for restraint
China's foreign ministry has called on both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and put peace and stability first.
"China finds India's military operation early this morning regrettable. We are concerned about the ongoing situation," a ministry statement said.
"India and Pakistan are and will always be each other's neighbors. They're both China's neighbors as well. China opposes all forms of terrorism."
"We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation."
9:35am
Witness: 'Deafening blasts'
Najam Peerzada, a college student who lives along Indian Kashmir's frontier with the Pakistani-administered side, has told Reuters that intense shelling started at midnight and stopped at around 8 am.
"We heard deafening blasts. I along with my family members and neighbors rushed to the underground bunker adjacent to our house," recalls the student who lives in Kandi Tanghdar in Kupwara district.
"It was harrowing experience for 15 of us who spend rest of the night and morning in the bunker praying for our safety."
The shelling has stopped now and they have come out of the bunkers.
9:30am - Reuters
India has launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir beginning in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
Pakistan has called a "blatant act of war" as tensions escalate between the nuclear-armed arch rivals.
The attack was India's response to a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-run portion of divided Kashmir just over two weeks ago. The divided Himalayan region is claimed by both India and Pakistan in its entirety.
WHAT WERE THE TARGETS?
India said its Operation Sindoor struck nine Pakistani sites on Wednesday that were "terrorist infrastructure" where attacks against it were orchestrated.
"Sindoor" means the red vermilion worn by married Hindu women, an apparent reference to the widows created by the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 men, most of them Hindu.
Islamabad has said six Pakistani locations were targeted, and a total of 24 impacts felt from different weapons.
WHAT ABOUT CASUALTIES?
Pakistan said eight people were killed, 35 injured and two were missing after the attack.
India said three civilians were killed in cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops in Kashmir.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER INDIA'S ATTACK?
The two armies exchanged intense shelling and firing at various points across their de-facto border in Kashmir.
A Pakistan military spokesperson told Reuters his country shot down five Indian aircraft while they were in Indian airspace.
India has not confirmed this claim.
ARE CIVILIANS IMPACTED?
Pakistan's Punjab province declared a state of emergency, with hospitals and security forces on high alert.
Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, lost power for a while after the explosions.
Schools in much of India's Jammu and Kashmir were shut on Wednesday.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE AIRSPACE?
India shut several airports and as a result, Indigo and Spicejet airlines cancelled flights.
Air India also diverted two of its international flights enroute from Amritsar to New Delhi.
Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan.
Pakistan International Airlines said airborne flights had been diverted to Karachi, while those on ground have been put on hold.
9:03am - Reuters
Pakistan starts Kashmir damage assessment
In the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, morning light has begun to reveal the damage from strikes. Security forces surrounded a small mosque in a hill-side residential neighborhood which had been hit overnight by a strike, with its minaret collapsed.
Deputy commissioner for Muzaffarabad, Mudasser Farooq, says one person has been killed in the strike on this mosque overnight.
9:01am - Reuters
Cross-border attacks continue - Pakistani official
Firing has started along in the Line of Control in the early hours of the morning, says Imran Shaheen, deputy commissioner of Haveli district in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Two mortars have landed on a house in the town of Forward Kahuta, killing two men and injuring several women and children, he says.
In another village, a resident has been killed in cross-border firing, he says
Authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have closed educational institutions and cancelled exams.
8:50am - Reuters
Taiwan's EVA Air to adjust Europe flights due to Pakistan-India conflict
Taiwan's EVA Air says it will adjust its flights to and from Europe to avoid airspace affected by fighting between India and Pakistan for safety reasons.
One flight from Vienna will be diverted back to that city, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will be diverted to Vienna for refuelling before continuing on to its destination, the airline said in a statement.
8:47am - Reuters
Islamabad shuts schools
Pakistani authorities in capital Islamabad closed schools on Wednesday after the strikes
8:40am - Reuters
'Zero tolerance for terrorism' - India's foreign minister
8:13am - Reuters
US urges to 'avoid escalation'
8:08am - Reuters
Indian rupee declines following strikes against Pakistan
The Indian rupee declined against the US dollar in the non-deliverable forward (NDF) market on Wednesday, after Indian armed forces hit multiple sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The 1-month NDF indicated that the rupee is likely to trade at 84.64-84.68 when onshore spot market opens, down from 84.4325 on Tuesday.
8:06am - Reuters
A lone plane flies across Pakistan
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 notes there was just one flight traversing Pakistan, after multiple airlines diverted or cancelled flights. Post is from 5:55 am Pakistan time and 6:35 am New Delhi time.
6:59am - Reuters
Pakistan says it informed UN Security Council that Pakistan reserves right to respond appropriately to Indian aggression
6:31am - Reuters
India invested heavily in France's Rafale fighter jet
Pakistan's military said they shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale planes and one each of Russian planes, a Su-30 and MiG-29.
A spokesman for the military said Indian planes were only targeted after they attacked Pakistan.
There was no word from India on the Pakistanis claims of the downing the jets, which would be the most serious loss for the Indian military in decades and risked further escalation.
The Rafale fighter is a new addition to India's military, part of a plan to modernize its military, reduce dependence on Russian-origin equipment, and boost domestic weapons production to supply forces deployed along two contentious borders with Pakistan and China.
Before the clash, the Indian Air Force operated 36 Rafale fighters, while the navy's aircraft fleet mainly comprises Russian MiG-29 jets.
India signed a deal with France's Dassault Aviation on Monday to buy another 26 Rafale fighter aircraft worth 630 billion rupees ($7.4 billion) for its navy in late April.
6:31am - Reuters
Three Indian civilians killed in shelling by Pakistani troops in Kashmir, Indian army says
6:21am - Reuters
Where did India's strikes hit?
6:14am - Reuters
UAE calls for restraint and de-escalation
UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that threaten regional and international peace, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported early Wednesday.
The minister stressed the importance of heeding the voices calling for dialogue and mutual understanding to prevent military escalation, strengthen stability in South Asia, and avoid further regional tensions, WAM added.
6:14am - Reuters
US monitoring situation closely, says Secretary of State Rubio
He echoed Trump's earlier comments that the situation hopefully ends quickly.
Rubio added the US will continue to engage with both Indian and Pakistani leadership toward a peaceful resolution.
6:14am - Reuters
Pakistan shot down three Rafale planes, military says
The Pakistan military shot down three Rafale planes, one Su-30 and one MiG-29 being flown by India, a spokesman told Reuters.
Earlier, we brought you a breakdown of Pakistan and India's military capabilities.
India has added 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets, a top Western aircraft, with more on order, since the neighboring countries last clash.
The Rafale are armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles that operate beyond visual range.
The Su-30 and MiG-29 are Soviet-era aircraft.
5:57am - Reuters
Five Indian aircraft shot down - Pakistan military
A spokesman for the Pakistan military told Reuters:
- Five Indian aircraft were shot down
- Indian planes shot down by Pakistan while they were in Indian airspace
- There's been an exchange of fire with Indian troops at multiple places along the ceasefire line in Kashmir
- Exchange of fire on line of control at multiple places
- No Pakistani aircraft has been shot down
5:44am - Reuters
Qatar Airways temporarily suspends flights to Pakistan
5:43am - Reuters
Air India cancels and diverts flights
5:21am - Reuters
India says it targeted Islamist militant groups
Indian forces targeted the headquarters of Islamist military groups in missile attacks in Pakistan, an Indian defense source told Reuters.
Indian news agency PTI said that targets included the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur (JeM refers to the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed) and the LeT headquarters in Muridke (LeT refers to Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba).
A group believed to be an offshoot of the Let, the Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, claimed responsibility for the April 22 attacks in Kashmir and then later denied it was responsible.
5:17am - Reuters
'A resolute response is already underway' - Pakistan's PM
5:16am - Reuters
Eight Pakistanis killed, 35 injured, 2 missing, Pakistan says
Pakistan Armed Forces spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry gives a statement after India attacked nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday.
He said eight Pakistanis were killed, 35 injured and two remain missing.
5:05am - Reuters
What we know so far
India attacked nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday.
"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," it said in a statement.
India's offensive occurred amid heightened tensions in the aftermath of an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month.
Islamist assailants killed 26 men in the April 22 attack, the worst such violence targeted at civilians in India in nearly two decades.
Pakistan said it was mounting a response as the worst fighting in years erupted between the longstanding enemies.
WHERE DID THIS HAPPEN?
Pakistan said India launched missiles at three places. India said it struck "terrorist infrastructure" where attacks against it were planned and directed.
Indian TV channels showed video of explosions, fire, large plumes of smoke in the night sky and people fleeing in several places in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Geo that all sites targeted by India were civilian and not militant camps.
WHAT ARE THE CASUALTIES?
A Pakistani military spokesman told broadcaster Geo that sites struck by India included two mosques and said there had been at least three deaths and 12 people injured.
Asif said India fired missiles from its own airspace and India's claim of targeting "camps of terrorists is false".
After India's strikes, the Indian army said in a post on X on Wednesday: "Justice is served."
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
India blamed Pakistan for the violence last month in which 26 men were killed and vowed to respond. Pakistan denied that it had anything to do with the killings and said that it had intelligence that India was planning to attack.
The name of India's military operation, Sindoor, is an apparent reference to the women who lost their spouses in last month's attack.
Sindoor is the Hindi for the traditional red vermilion worn by married Hindu women on their forehead symbolising protection and marital commitment. Women traditionally stop wearing it when they are widowed.
