Pakistan’s military confirmed on Tuesday that 51 people, including 40 civilians and 11 military personnel, were killed during last week’s intense clashes with India, marking the worst confrontation between the two countries in decades.
The nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in four days of tit-for-tat strikes that raised fears of a full-scale war until US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire on Saturday.
In a statement, Pakistan’s army described India’s actions as “unprovoked and reprehensible” and stated that the attacks killed 40 civilians, including seven women and 15 children.
The army added that 11 members of the Pakistan Armed Forces died while defending the country, and 78 others were injured.
“Let there be no ambiguity: any attempt to challenge Pakistan’s sovereignty or territorial integrity, ever again, shall be met with a swift, full-spectrum, and decisive response,” the statement declared.
Earlier, Pakistan had reported 33 civilian deaths, with no military casualties. India reported that 15 civilians and five soldiers were killed in the clashes.
Despite initial claims of violations from both sides, the ceasefire appeared to be holding on Tuesday.
President Trump, in a statement on Monday, credited US intervention with averting a potential “bad nuclear war,” adding that the conflict could have led to millions of deaths.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address on Monday, accused Pakistan of attacking instead of cooperating to combat terrorism. He warned that any further terrorist attacks against India would provoke a strong response.
A post from Modi’s account on X on Tuesday praised the courage and determination of Indian service members involved in the conflict.
The latest escalation followed an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, which killed 26 people. India accused Pakistan of supporting the attack, a claim Islamabad denied.
The fighting began last Wednesday when India launched missile strikes targeting what it called “terrorist camps” in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In retaliation, both sides carried out warplane and drone strikes, along with artillery bombardments, leading to at least 60 fatalities on both sides.
“If Pakistan wants to survive, it will have to destroy its terror infrastructure,” said Modi on Monday. “India will strike with precision and decisiveness against the terrorist groups thriving under the cover of nuclear blackmail.”
Modi added that “terror and talks cannot go together… Terror and trade cannot go together… Water and blood cannot flow together.”
The flare-up marked the worst fighting since the 1999 conflict and raised concerns that it could escalate into a full-blown war.
Pakistan’s military statement also noted that the highest-ranked service member killed in the conflict was an air force squadron leader. Pakistan claimed to have downed five Indian jets, although it did not confirm any losses of its own aircraft. India has not disclosed any aircraft losses.
