Kashmir erupts: India, Pakistan exchange missile strikes
Shafaq News/ The Indian Army reported on Tuesday that multiple areas in Indian-administered Kashmir were struck by missiles fired from Pakistan, following Indian airstrikes aimed at what officials described as terrorist infrastructure across the border.
In a post on X, the Indian military stated, "Justice has been served," referring to the retaliatory action following an April 22 attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan-backed militant groups for that attack.
#PahalgamTerrorAttackJustice is Served.Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/Aruatj6OfA
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 6, 2025
The Indian Army said Pakistan had "once again violated the ceasefire agreement" by launching artillery shelling on the Bimber Gali and Poonch-Rajouri sectors in Indian-administered Kashmir. It added that India had responded "appropriately and in a calibrated manner."
Indian strikes targeted locations in both Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province, including a missile hit on the old airport in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Quoting the Indian Army, Reuters reported that "India is responding proportionately and in a calibrated manner to Pakistan’s ceasefire violations," with officials reiterating that Islamabad had resumed hostilities in the Poonch-Rajouri region.
In response, a spokesperson for the Pakistani military warned that Islamabad’s reaction would be “firm and comprehensive” following the Indian missile attacks on Pakistani territory late Tuesday.
Later, a Pakistani military spokesperson told Reuters that eight people had been killed and 35 injured, with two others missing after the Indian strikes.
He also reported that at least two mosques were hit, while a provincial official in Punjab declared a state of emergency.
Police sources cited by Reuters confirmed heavy cross-border shelling at three locations along the Kashmir frontier. Pakistani television quoted security officials as saying the country’s air force had downed two Indian fighter jets and one drone.
A Pakistani military spokesperson said that the aircraft brought down included three Rafale jets, one Su-30, and one MiG-29.
An Indian official confirmed to Reuters that an Indian fighter jet had crashed in Indian-administered Kashmir and that the injured pilot had been hospitalized.
India’s embassy in Washington stated that New Delhi possessed "credible information indicating the involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists in last month's Kashmir attack." The embassy added that India’s National Security Advisor had spoken directly with the US Secretary of State following the strikes.
In turn, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused India of launching missiles from within its airspace and called New Delhi’s claims about targeting militant camps “false.” He said all the sites hit by India were civilian areas.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan said, “The people and the army know how to confront the enemy, and we will never allow them to achieve their malicious goals.” He stressed that “the entire nation stands with our armed forces, and the morale of our people is at its peak.”
Sharif asserted, “We have every right to respond forcefully to India’s military aggression,” and added that the Indian military had attacked five sites in Pakistan and was being met with a robust response.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِThe treacherous enemy has launched a cowardly attack on five locations within Pakistan. This heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished.Pakistan reserves the absolute right to respond decisively to this unprovoked Indian attack — a…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 6, 2025
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned what it called "India’s actions" that "violated Pakistan’s sovereignty using long-range weapons from within Indian airspace."
In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was closely monitoring the situation and would continue engaging with both governments to find a peaceful resolution.
The US State Department added that Rubio had spoken with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts, urging both sides to keep communication channels open and de-escalate tensions.
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary-General António Guterres was "deeply concerned" about India’s military operations across the Line of Control and the international border, and called for maximum military restraint from both countries.
