Tensions between India and Pakistan have dramatically escalated, with reports emerging of significant damage inflicted on Pakistani military assets. The recent surge in hostilities follows a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which India has blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack.
India launched a series of missile strikes into Pakistan-controlled territory early Wednesday, May 7, resulting in casualties and prompting strong condemnation from Pakistan. According to Pakistani officials, the strikes, which India claims targeted "terrorist camps," killed at least 31 people and injured dozens more. Pakistan retaliated with artillery strikes, further intensifying the conflict.
Pakistan's military media wing reported that Indian forces targeted three airbases with air-to-surface missiles; however, it maintained that "all assets" remained secure. Witnesses reported blasts in Amritsar, a city in Punjab, India, near the Pakistani border, and multiple explosions were heard in Jammu city in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Adding to the escalating situation, India has accused Pakistan of using Turkish-made drones to attack military and civilian sites. India claims to have intercepted and neutralized many of these drones. Pakistan, on the other hand, alleges that India has launched missiles that struck its own installations in Amritsar and that it has intercepted and neutralized 29 hostile drones sent by India.
Amid the heightened tensions, the Airports Authority of India has extended the temporary closure of several Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions until May 15. This has disrupted air travel and caused inconvenience to passengers. Blackouts have also been reported in several border towns and districts.
International reaction to the escalating conflict has been swift, with many countries urging restraint and de-escalation. The U.A.E. and Iran have offered to mediate peace talks between the two nations. US President Donald Trump has also expressed his desire to see the tensions de-escalate as quickly as possible.
Both sides continue to assert their right to respond to violence from the other side, and the situation remains highly volatile. Kamran Bokhari, a senior director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC, warned that the situation has worsened significantly with the targeting of Pakistan's airbases, suggesting the conflict could escalate into a larger-scale war.
