Reuters
Muzafarabad cityscape in Pakistan and managed Kashmir
Two weeks after the fatal militant attacks on India-controlled Kashmir tourists, India launched a series of strikes at Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir sites.
The Indian Ministry of Defense said the strike, dubbed “Operation Sindoor” was part of a “commitment” that left the deaths of those who held responsible for the attack on April 22 and one Nepali citizen as “responsible.”
However, Pakistan, which denied involvement in last month’s attack, described the strike as “unprovoked” and Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif said “heinous acts of invasion are not punished.”
Pakistani forces say they have fired down five Indian aircraft and drones. India has not yet responded to these claims.
Pakistani military spokesman Lt. Colonel Ahmed Schaudhry said at least 26 people were killed and 46 were injured. The Indian Army said at least 10 civilians were killed and 32 were injured in fire from the de facto border side.
Where was India hit?
Delhi said nine different locations were targeted in both Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan early on Wednesday morning.
They say these sites are “terrorist infrastructure” – where the attack was “planned and directed.”
He emphasized that it had not collided with Pakistan’s military facilities, saying its “action is essentially focused, measured and non-active.”
In the first aftermath of the attack, Pakistan said three different regions were attacked: Muzafarabad and Kotri in Kashmir, controlled by Pakistan, and Bahawalpur in Pakistan’s province in Pakistan, Punjab. Pakistani military spokesman Ahmed Sharif, said six locations were later attacked.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Kawaja Asif added to Geotv early on Wednesday that India’s claim that the strike would be hit by civilian regions and “targeting terrorist camps” was incorrect.
Why did India launch an attack?
The strike comes after weeks of rising tensions among nuclear-armed neighbors over the shooting in the picturesque resort town of Pahargam.
The April 22 attack by a group of extremists killed 26 people, with survivors saying the militants were choosing Hindu men.
It was the worst attack in the region in 20 years, the first major attack on civilians since India, revoking Article 370, which granted Kashmir semi-autonomous status in 2019.
Following the decision, the region saw protests but witnessed the decline in extremism and a massive increase in the number of tourists visiting the region.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the killings sparked widespread rage in India, and that the country hunted suspects “to the end of the earth” and those who planned and carried them “will be punished beyond imagination.”
However, India has not named it the group suspected of attacking in Pahargam, and it remains unknown who did it.
However, Indian police have alleged that the two attackers are Pakistani citizens, and Delhi has accused Pakistan of supporting extremists – Islamabad has accused them. He says it has nothing to do with the attack on April 22nd.
In the next two weeks, both sides had taken strict measures against each other, including expelling diplomats, suspending visas and closing border crossings.
However, many expected it to escalate to some cross-border strike, as seen after the attack on Pulwama, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in 2019.
Why is Kashmir a flash point between India and Pakistan?
Kashmir is fully claimed by India and Pakistan, but was divided after its independence from the UK in 1947, so each is controlled only by its own individuals.
The country has fought two wars over it.
However, recently they were attacked by extremists who took both countries to the brink. Controlled by India, Kashmir has seen armed rebellions against Indian rule since 1989, with extremists targeting security forces and civilians.
In 2016, after 19 Indian soldiers were killed at URI, India launched a “surgical strike” beyond Control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan.
In 2019, the bombing of Pulwama, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, prompted air strikes deep into Barakot, the first action in Pakistan since 1971.
Neither is a spiral, but the wider world remains wary of the dangers of what will happen if it does. To prevent this, attempts have been made by various countries and diplomats around the world.
UN Prime Minister Antonio Guterres immediately sought “the greatest detention.” This is a sentiment reflected by many countries, including the European Union and Bangladesh.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer urged “dialogue” and “escalation.”
President Donald Trump, who responded first, told White House reporters he hoped the fight would end “very quickly.” Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he is focusing on development.
