Updated May 7, 2025 at 11:37 AM EDT
Amid escalating tensions, India executed a series of military strikes on Pakistani territory on Wednesday, marking a significant rise in hostility between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Named Operation Sindoor, the Indian military announced that it had targeted nine locations within “Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” which they claim were bases for planning and directing terrorist activities against India.
According to a statement shared by the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., the strikes were “focused and precise,” targeting only “known terror camps.”
Reports from The Associated Press later in the day confirmed that the death toll in Pakistan had climbed to 31, while seven fatalities were reported in Indian-controlled Kashmir. As a precaution, several Indian airlines have suspended flights to the affected areas.
Backdrop of Rising Tensions
The recent conflict traces back to April 22, when gunmen killed at least 26 tourists and wounded several others in India-administered Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of being complicit in this attack, which is noted as the most severe assault on Indian civilians in over a decade. In response to the Kashmir incident, the Indian Defense Ministry conducted these overnight strikes.
In reaction to India’s military actions, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the strikes and promised a robust response from Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sharif expressed on social media that “Pakistan has every right to respond forcefully to this act of war imposed by India, and a forceful response is being given.” He added, “The Pakistani nation and the Pakistani armed forces know how to deal with the enemy. We will never allow the enemy to succeed in their nefarious goals.”
During a brief interaction with reporters at the White House, President Trump commented on the situation saying, “It’s a shame, we just heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval. They’ve been fighting for a long time. I just hope it ends very quickly.”
Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, urged both nations for “maximum military restraint,” emphasizing that the global community cannot afford a conflict between these countries. For more information, visit the related news report.
Copyright 2025 NPR
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