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Pakistan has vowed to retaliate following deadly Indian air strikes, warning it will “avenge” the deaths of civilians, in a sharp escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals during their worst violence in decades.
At least 43 people have died in the latest clashes, with Pakistan reporting 31 civilian deaths from Indian air strikes and border shelling, while India said 12 people were killed by Pakistani shelling.
In a televised address on Wednesday night, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised retribution for what he described as the bloodshed of innocent civilians.
The Indian military claimed it had destroyed nine “terrorist camps” within Pakistani territory in a pre-dawn operation on Wednesday. The strikes came two weeks after a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-backed militants—a charge Islamabad denies.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, claimed five Indian fighter jets were shot down. A senior Indian security official acknowledged three of its jets crashed within Indian territory.
Both countries have since traded heavy fire along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing the disputed Kashmir region, which both nations claim in full.
Locals on both sides have recounted nights filled with terror. One resident in Pakistan-administered Kashmir described scenes of chaos after a mosque was struck, while another injured man said his family had been left homeless.
India defended its actions as “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” while Pakistan accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of escalating the conflict for domestic political gain. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warned that Islamabad would respond swiftly.
Pakistan’s military confirmed it had been given the go-ahead to retaliate at a time and place of its choosing. Air strikes reportedly hit several civilian and religious sites in Pakistan, including a seminary near Bahawalpur, a mosque in Muzaffarabad, and a government complex in Muridke. Four children were among the dead.
Meanwhile, India was accused of damaging a hydropower plant in Pakistan-administered Kashmir amid threats to block water flows.
Tensions were already high after the April 22 attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam, Indian Kashmir, which killed 26 people. India blamed the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN. Pakistan has denied any link to the incident.
UN observers visited the bombed mosque site in Muzaffarabad on Wednesday, while across the LoC in Indian-administered Kashmir, residents reported casualties and homes destroyed by Pakistani fire.
Calls for de-escalation have come from international leaders. The United Nations warned that the world cannot risk open war between India and Pakistan, while US President Donald Trump offered to mediate. Iran also stepped in, with its foreign minister visiting both capitals in an effort to reduce hostilities.
The region remains volatile, with gunfire continuing nightly since late April. Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between the two countries, with India regularly accusing Pakistan of fuelling the armed rebellion that has raged since 1989—allegations Islamabad continues to reject.
