Topline
Indian officials announced Tuesday the country launched military strikes in Pakistan, beginning the assault a few weeks after it accused Pakistan of being involved in a terrorist attack on the town of Pahalgam that killed over two dozen people.
Security force officials stand outside a damaged building at a site of a suspected Indian missile … More
Key Facts
The Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement “focused strikes” were conducted on “nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
India claimed no Pakistani military facilities were hit by the strike and said the military operation, which it has dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” underscores India’s “resolve to hold perpetrators accountable while avoiding unnecessary provocation.”
Pakistani military official Ahmed Sharif said some of the strikes hit a mosque in the city of Ahmed East, according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
Pakistan Armed Forces said in a statement Indian air strikes were made by India from its own airspace and hit the cities of Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad.
Pakistan vowed to respond, saying the attack “will not go unanswered” and the “temporary pleasure of India will be replaced by enduring grief.”
President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening he “just heard about” the strikes, adding, “I just hope it ends very quickly.”
Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said “India has carried out cowardly attacks on innocent civilians and mosques within Pakistan,” adding his country “will hold the enemy accountable for every single drop of its martyrs’ blood.”
Sharif later said in a television appearance eight people were killed in the strike while 38 were left injured, according to the Associated Press.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
News Peg
Tensions between India and Pakistan, nuclear-armed nations, have risen in recent weeks following the attack on Pahalgam in April that killed 26 people, all of one of whom were Indian nationals. The attack on the city, which is located in an Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, was carried out after the neighboring countries had been exchanging gunfire along their border the week prior. India accused Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam attack, with Pakistan calling the allegations “baseless and concocted.” India later vowed to retaliate and Tarar said military action from India would be “responded to assuredly and decisively.” The U.S. has aligned itself with India in the growing conflict, with Trump saying India has “our full support and deepest sympathies.”
Key Background
India and Pakistan have been at odds for several decades, with the contested border region of Kashmir becoming a flashpoint in several conflicts between the two countries. Three wars have been fought over the area, with the most recent violent outburst between India and Pakistan happening in 2019, when India launched airstrikes against Pakistan after blaming the country for a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in Kashmir.
Further Reading
Pakistan Claims ‘Credible Evidence’ India Is Planning ‘Military Action’ Soon—As Tensions Rise Between Neighbors (Forbes)
A Timeline of Tensions Between India and Pakistan Over Kashmir (New York Times)
