India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory early Wednesday, killing a child and wounding two other people, Pakistani authorities said. India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Wednesday’s airstrikes and said the “deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks at five locations in Pakistan” and that his country would retaliate.
“Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” Sharif said.
He said his country and its armed forces “know very well how to deal with the enemy.”
The missiles struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country’s eastern Punjab province, according to three Pakistani security officials.
A deadly militant attack targeting tourists in the disputed territory of Kashmir has added fuel to longstanding tensions between India and Pakistan, pushing them to the brink of war. CBC’s South Asia correspondent Salimah Shivji breaks down why the attack has stoked fears of wider conflict between two nuclear powers.
The state-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said Pakistan’s air force shot down two Indian jets, but provided no additional details.
Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Indian forces had launched the strikes while staying in Indian airspace. Other locations hit were near Muridke in Punjab and Kotli in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
It said the attack reportedly resulted in civilian casualties and posed a significant threat to commercial air traffic.
“This reckless escalation has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict,” the statement said.
The strikes came amid soaring tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours over last month’s militant attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India has blamed Pakistan for backing the militant attack, which Islamabad has denied.
India’s Defence Ministry said at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.”
“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the statement said, adding that “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”
“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the statement said.
Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, convened a meeting of the national security committee for Wednesday morning, according to a government announcement.
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement late Tuesday that UN Secretary General António Guterres was very concerned about Indian military operations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and called for maximum military restraint from both countries.
“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile in the city of Muzaffarabad, resident Abdul Sammad said he heard several explosions and some people were wounded in the attack. Residents were seen running in panic and authorities immediately cut power.
Waqar Noor, the interior minister in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said authorities declared an emergency in the region’s hospitals.
