Kathmandu: The Indian government says it has carried out airstrikes on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, marking a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
According to Pakistan’s military, three sites were hit in the early hours of Tuesday, killing seven people, including two children. Residents in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, described being jolted awake by massive explosions.
The cross-border attacks come amid soaring tensions following a deadly militant assault on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, which New Delhi has blamed on Pakistan-based groups.
“This is a warning to those who shelter terrorists,” an Indian government spokesperson said, without disclosing specific targets or casualties.
Islamabad, meanwhile, condemned the strikes and warned of “consequences” for what it called an unprovoked act of aggression.
The decades-long conflict over Kashmir — a region claimed in full by both India and Pakistan — has triggered multiple wars and skirmishes since the countries gained independence in 1947. The area continues to be the epicentre of frequent violence, with insurgencies and cross-border shelling claiming thousands of lives.
“This is a moment of extreme danger,” said the BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen. “Both sides know what the stakes are, and a major diplomatic push is urgently needed to prevent further escalation.”
Global powers are expected to call for restraint as concerns grow over the potential for a broader conflict between the two longtime rivals.