India-Pakistan Exchange Fire as Tensions Soar Over Kashmir

Photo: Collected

India launched a series of drone strikes into Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least two civilians, according to the Pakistani military. In retaliation, India accused Pakistan of attempting its own attacks, intensifying the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

India confirmed that it targeted Pakistan’s air defense systems, while Islamabad claimed to have shot down several of the drones. Both nations traded claims of neutralizing each other’s military actions, but the accuracy of these statements remains unverified.

The drone exchanges followed a deadly missile strike on Pakistan by India on Wednesday, which killed 31 civilians, according to Pakistani officials. India said the attack was a response to a deadly assault in India-controlled Kashmir, where more than two dozen people, mostly Hindu tourists, were killed last month. India holds Pakistan responsible for the attack, though Islamabad denies any involvement.

Both countries have also engaged in heavy cross-border fire in the disputed Kashmir region, with Pakistan claiming to have killed 40 to 50 Indian soldiers. India has not confirmed this claim.

Late Thursday, explosions and sirens were heard in Jammu, Indian-controlled Kashmir, followed by a blackout. Indian authorities reported missile and drone strikes targeting military stations in Jammu, Udhampur, and Pathankot. India claimed the attacks were repelled with no casualties.

Pakistan, however, denied India’s claims, dismissing them as politically motivated. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused India of using the situation to spread misinformation. The Pakistani government also condemned India’s missile strikes that killed civilians, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowing to avenge the deaths, escalating fears of a broader military confrontation.

The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, spoke to both nations' leaders, urging them to de-escalate the situation. Amid rising tensions, India evacuated thousands of people from villages near the Line of Control (LoC), while thousands of Pakistanis in the Kashmir region fled their homes.

The recent violence has prompted large-scale evacuations on both sides of the border. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, residents reported hearing explosions and experiencing blackouts, while Pakistan's military confirmed the downing of 29 Indian drones, some of which caused civilian casualties.

As both countries continue to exchange fire, the situation remains volatile. The long-standing Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, a region claimed by both nations, has been the root of previous wars and remains a focal point of the ongoing conflict.

This escalation follows a period of heightened hostility between the two countries, and analysts fear it could spiral into a more extensive military conflict.