Key Points
- The Indian army says it has blocked waves of Pakistani drone strikes overnight.
- Pakistan says it will not ‘de-escalate’ a spiralling conflict, accusing India of ‘reckless conduct’.
- Most of the 50 deaths that have been recorded so far were in Pakistan during Wednesday’s airstrikes by India.
Pakistan has warned it will “not de-escalate” a spiralling conflict with India, and blamed New Delhi for bringing the two nuclear-armed neighbours closer to a full-blown war, with the death toll from days of violence crossing 50.
The South Asian countries have exchanged fire since , saying they were targeting “terrorists” after a .
On Friday, the third day of tit-for-tat exchanges, the Indian army said it had “repulsed” waves of Pakistani attacks using drones and other munitions overnight, and gave a “befitting reply”.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson denied that it was carrying out such attacks, and vowed revenge for the initial Indian strikes.
“We will not de-escalate — with the damages they did on our side, they should take a hit,” said Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
“So far, we have been protecting ourselves, but they will get an answer in our own timing.”
The clashes are the worst between the two countries — which have fought three full-scale wars since gaining independence from the British in 1947 — for decades.
Civilians have come under fire on both sides, with Pakistan and India accusing each other of carrying out unprovoked artillery shelling, and missile and drone strikes.
“Our life is worth nothing. At any time, entire families could be wiped out,” said Naseer Ahmed Khan, 50, whose village lies near the Line of Control (LoC), which acts as a de facto boundary separating the disputed Kashmir region between Pakistan and India.
“Our children are not able to sleep and we cannot have a meal in peace.”
People light candles during a vigil for victims of an Indian missile strike on a mosque in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Source: AAP / Amiruddin Mughal / EPA
Most of the more than 50 deaths were in Pakistan during Wednesday’s air strikes by India.
On Friday, Pakistani security and government officials said five civilians — including a two-year-old girl — were killed by Indian shelling overnight in areas along the heavily militarised LoC.
On the other side, a police official said one woman was killed and two men wounded by heavy shelling.
Pakistani military sources said that its forces had shot down 77 Indian drones in the last two days, with debris of many incursions seen by Agence France-Presse in cities across the country.
On Friday, an Indian army spokesperson spoke of “300 to 400” Pakistani drones being fired, but it was impossible to verify that claim independently.
Pakistan has accused India of fabricating the drone strikes, and early on Saturday, its military claimed Delhi’s forces had bombed their own territory in Amritsar, without providing evidence.
A man inspects a room damaged by Pakistan artillery shelling in the Indian-administered Kashmir area of Uri. Source: Anadolu / Getty Images
Pakistan’s foreign ministry alleged India’s “reckless conduct” had brought the two nuclear-armed states “closer to a major conflict”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top security officials on Friday, including his national security adviser, defence minister and the chiefs of the armed forces, his office said.
The two countries have fought several wars over Muslim-majority Kashmir, which both claim in full but administer separately.
Armed groups have stepped up operations in Kashmir since 2019, when Modi’s Hindu nationalist government revoked its limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule.
Pakistan has rejected claims by India that it was behind last month’s attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, when gunmen killed 26 people, mainly male Hindu tourists.
Airports closed, tournaments suspended
The conflict has caused major disruptions to international aviation, with airlines having to cancel flights or use longer routes that do not overfly the India-Pakistan frontier.
India’s Civil Aviation Ministry announced the closure of 24 airports for civil flight operations. Source: Getty / Vipin Kumar / Hindustan Times / Sipa USA
India has closed 24 airports, with local media reporting the suspension would remain in place until next week.
On Friday, the mega Indian Premier League cricket tournament was suspended for a week, while Pakistan suspended its own T20 franchise competition indefinitely, barely a day after relocating it to the United Arab Emirates over the violence.
Calls for restraint
World powers have called for both sides to exercise “restraint”, with several offering to mediate the dispute.
On Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Saudi foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir in Islamabad, according to a statement.
That meeting came after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met his Indian counterpart in Delhi on Thursday, days after visiting Pakistan.
The International Crisis Group, however, said “foreign powers appear to have been somewhat indifferent” to the prospect of war, despite warnings of possible escalation.
On Friday, Pakistan’s military spokesperson warned India that further drone or other strikes could lead to “unpredictable” results.
“They should know that the escalation ladder is always unpredictable,” he said.
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