Pakistan says it fired missiles at Indian military sites after accusing India of striking three of its air bases. India confirmed it targeted those bases in response to recent Pakistani attacks, marking a sharp rise in tensions between the India-Pakistan.
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| Smoke rising after an explosion in Jammu, in the India-controlled part of Kashmir, on Saturday. |
As both countries exchanged claims and counterclaims, it became clear that the night marked one of the most intense periods of military action from both sides since the conflict began on Wednesday.
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On Saturday, security personnel blocked off a road near the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. |
Both India and Pakistan have expressed a desire to de-escalate, but tensions have only grown since India carried out airstrikes in Pakistan on Wednesday. India accused Pakistan of sheltering terrorist groups responsible for a deadly attack on tourists in India-controlled Kashmir last month, a claim Pakistan denies.
Since then, the situation has escalated into the largest conflict between the two countries in 50 years. Intense fighting has broken out along parts of their border, and drone and missile strikes have hit deeper into both nations. Each side has responded with a series of claims, counterclaims, and misinformation, further fueling the crisis.
The escalating conflict between India and Pakistan has sparked global concern, leading to diplomatic efforts from countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and others with strong ties to both nations, aiming to calm the situation.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, in an attempt to reduce tensions. According to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, Rubio urged both countries to de-escalate and offered U.S. help in facilitating talks to prevent future conflicts.
The Group of 7 (G7) foreign ministers also called for “maximum restraint” from both India and Pakistan, warning that further military escalation could seriously destabilize the region.
Despite these diplomatic pressures, including visits from delegations from Saudi Arabia and Iran to both Islamabad and New Delhi, the situation remains unresolved.
On Saturday morning, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar told Pakistani television that his government had no choice but to respond. “This is measured and proportionate, and payback for what they have done,” he said.
“Now this has started,” Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said. “Where it ends all depends on India.”
His words echoed India’s stance this week, which described its strikes as proportionate and aimed at reducing tensions.
With no clear solution in sight, both Indian and Pakistani citizens are growing increasingly concerned about what might happen next.
India and Pakistan became separate nations in 1947 and have fought three wars since then, with the issue of Kashmir being at the heart of each conflict. One of these wars, in December 1971, led to the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between the two countries.
