LAHORE – India’s military has reportedly launched “Operation Sindoor“, targeting nine sites on Pakistani soil and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, after which Islamabad retaliated by striking Indian military targets, and downing five warplanes and claiming that three of them were “Rafale”, a French-manufactured warplane and India’s prized asset.
The Indian strike and counterattack by Pakistan comes after tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours due to a deadly attack last month on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, which denied any such involvement.
A statement issued by the Indian government said:
“Terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed”.
“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” it said.
Pakistani officials said at least eight people lost their lives and more than 35 were injured in India’s missile attacks. The missiles targeted locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the country’s eastern Punjab province.
The cities of Muzaffarabad and Kotli, both in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, were among the targets of the Indian strikes. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that at least five Indian aircraft have been shot down and several Indian soldiers have been taken prisoner. Furthermore, he said that Pakistan would respond to any attack launched by India against Pakistan as Pakistan is doing right now.
A Pakistani military spokesman confirmed that at least five locations, including two mosques, had been targeted. He also said that Pakistan’s response was underway, without further details. In Punjab, a mosque in the city of Bahawalpur was struck by the missiles, killing a child and wounding two civilians, the military said.
