By Peter Omopo
Tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan escalated sharply on Wednesday after India launched a series of airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in retaliation for last month’s deadly attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir.
The Indian government said the military operation—codenamed Operation Sindoor—targeted nine sites linked to militant groups Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in what it described as “precision strikes” that avoided civilian and military infrastructure. Officials in New Delhi said the 25-minute operation was a direct response to the April massacre in which 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, were gunned down at a mountain resort in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blames Pakistan-based militants for the attack, though Islamabad has denied involvement.
The operation’s name, Sindoor, refers to the traditional vermilion powder worn by married Hindu women, a symbolic reference to the widows left behind by the attack.
However, Pakistan has presented a starkly different account, accusing India of violating its sovereignty and killing civilians. According to a spokesperson for the Pakistani military, India carried out 24 airstrikes across six locations, including targets deep inside the populous Punjab province. The Pakistani military also claimed that mosques were hit, though these claims remain unverified.
In response, Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets and a drone during the incursion, though India has yet to confirm any losses.
The situation has sparked fears of a wider military confrontation between the two nuclear powers, with international observers urging both sides to exercise restraint and pursue diplomatic solutions.
India and Pakistan have fought four wars since gaining independence in 1947, with Kashmir remaining the most volatile flashpoint between the two.
