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India-Pakistan Fighting: Pakistan confirms attacks on Indian military targets

Pakistan’s military ‘response is under way’ to Indian attack

Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Reports have come in, confirmed by Pakistani military sources, that at least two (Indian) aircraft were shot down. We are now getting reports of a possible third fixed-wing aircraft also being shot down.

The Indian attack unfolded just after midnight (Wednesday) local Pakistan time (19:00 GMT on Tuesday). We were able to observe a number of fighter aircraft… we could hear the noise of possible Pakistani aircraft on their way towards the Indian positions because now, we are told that Pakistan is giving its response. That response is under way.

Pakistani sources are also now saying that they have destroyed a brigade headquarters.

I spoke to one of our reporters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. He said there was heavy shelling going on along the Line of Control. That the civilian population was leaving those areas and, of course, an emergency has also been declared in Pakistani-administer Kashmir.

In hospitals, all staff leave has been cancelled.

Pakistani minister claims downed third Indian jet, drone

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar now says that a third Indian jet, as well as an Indian drone, have been “shot down by Pakistan.”

“Pakistan has befittingly retaliated against Indian Aggression,” Tarar said in a post on X.

There was no immediate comment from India.

Pakistan says 2 mosques targeted in India strikes

A Pakistani military spokesman told the broadcaster Geo that sites struck by India included two mosques.

Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told Geo that all sites targeted by India were civilian and not infrastructure of armed groups. He said India’s claim of targeting “camps of terrorists is false”.

India blamed Pakistan for violence in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, in which 26 men were killed, and had promised to respond. Pakistan denied it had anything to do with the killings and said it had intelligence that India was planning to attack.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister claims more planes shot down, soldiers captured

Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Asif said that Pakistan has shot down five Indian planes and has also taken some Indian soldiers prisoner.

We’ve been reporting on Pakistan’s claims it has shot down Indian fighter jets, but Indian officials have yet to comment.

At least 8 killed in Pakistan as six locations hit by Indian missiles: ISPR chief

Abid Hussain, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan’s armed forces, delivered a brief late-night news conference in which he revealed that at least eight Pakistanis were killed and at least 35 more were injured in the Indian missile attacks.

Chaudhry said that India’s military attacked six different locations in Pakistan, launching a total of 24 strikes.

The biggest attack was in Ahmedpur Sharqia, near Bahawalpur city in Punjab province. According to Chaudhry, a mosque compound was hit and five people were killed, including a 3-year-old girl.

Other attacks took place in Muridke city, a village near the city of Sialkot, and Shakargarh, also in Punjab province.

Two locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir – Muzzafarabad and Kotli – were also hit and two mosques were destroyed. A 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy were killed in the attacks.

The military spokesperson did not provide any information regarding earlier claims of the downing of Indian jets.

UAE foreign minister urges restraint

In a statement, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has called on both India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace”.

Zayed “reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity”, the statement said.

Airports closed in Indian-administered Kashmir, northern India

India’s NDTV broadcaster is reporting that the airport in Srinagar, the largest city in Indian-administered Kashmir, has been closed to civilians.

India’s IndiGo airline has also advised passengers that flights to and from several airports are being affected by “changing airspace conditions in the region”.

According to IndiGo, the airports affected include Srinagar and Leh, in Indian-administered Kashmir, as well as Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bikaner, and Dharamshala, in northern India.

India’s SpiceJet also said, in a post on X, that airports in “parts of northern India” were closed “due to ongoing situation”.

Pakistan ‘not mincing its words’, confirms attacks on Indian military targets

Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to a foreign TV network, confirmed that at least five Indian aircraft have been shot down and that several Indian soldiers have been taken prisoner.

This is according to the Pakistani defence minister.

Pakistan said that it would respond to any Indian attack against Pakistan, and Pakistan is now responding to that Indian attack.

We are told that at least one infantry brigade headquarters has been destroyed. Heavy shelling has now resumed on the Line of Control that separates Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan and India were both warned by the United States and friendly countries, including the United Nations secretary-general, who had asked both countries to exercise maximum restraint.

The Indian side said that they struck non-military targets but Pakistan is not mincing its words, saying that they had attacked Indian military targets in reprisal for what Pakistan says was an attack on innocent civilians.

People across Pakistan are now on the streets. They were woken up after that Indian strike.

A state of emergency was declared in the hospitals. All hospital staff have been asked to report to duty and that is the same situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Rubio says monitoring situation closely

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is “monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely.”

“I echo (Trump’s) comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution,” Rubio wrote in a post on X.

As we reported earlier, the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC said India had briefed Rubio shortly after the attacks against Pakistan.

Schools closed in Pakistan’s Punjab province

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of the Pakistani province of Punjab, says that educational institutions will remain closed tomorrow “in view of public safety”.

Sharif said that examinations in universities and colleges would also be postponed, with the exception of tests administered by international examining bodies.

Airlines, including Air India and Qatar Airways, suspend or divert flights

A growing list of airlines are suspending or rerouting flights.

Air India has announced the cancellation of all flights to and from nine cities, including Jammu, Srinagar and Leh in Indian-administered Kashmir, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Bhuj in the western Indian state of Gujarat, and Amritsar in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab.

The airline said the routes would be suspended until midday on Wednesday, pending updates from authorities.

India’s SpiceJet and IndiGo have said that flights to and from destinations in northern India, including Jammu and  Dharamshala, have been affected.

Pakistan International Airlines has announced the diversion of already airborne flights to Karachi.

Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.

India-Pakistan Fighting: India briefed US after missile attack on Pakistan

Trump administration ‘very engaged’ on India-Pakistan tensions

Michael Kugelman, a writer at Foreign Policy magazine specialised in South Asia, notes that US President Trump’s administration has expressed a desire to help de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan since last month’s attack in Pahalgam.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in touch with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts. A State Department spokesperson also said earlier that the US government “is very engaged” on the issue.

“We’re at the point now where the escalation risks have really grown, and that suggests the Trump administration will want to do what it can to urge the sides to de-escalate,” Kugelman told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC.

While US efforts to mediate between the two sides are positive, “it would be helpful” to have other countries push for de-escalation as well, he added.

Pakistan claims ‘downing two Indian fighter jets’

The Pakistan military’s media chief, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudry, has claimed that Pakistan has “downed Indian fighter jets”, without providing any further information.

“There are two confirmed aircraft of the Indian Air Force that have already been shot down. There are other reports of multiple damages that the Pakistani forces, both on ground and air, have inflicted,” he told CNN.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also repeated the claim in an interview with British news channel Sky News.

“We shot down two Indian planes and we are responding to Indian aggression right now as we speak,” Tarrar said.

There was no immediate comment from India.

Leader of Pakistan People’s Party says nation is ‘united, defiant’

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has described India’s attacks as “cowardly and unprovoked”.

“Attacks on civilian targets in Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli & Muzaffarabad are acts of war,” Bhutto Zardari said on X.

“Pakistan’s armed forces, backed by an unbreakable nation, are responding with full force,” he said, adding that the nation is “united, defiant, and ready”.

The 5 places Pakistan says India targeted

 - Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Kotli, Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Bagh, Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan’s Punjab province
- Muridke, Pakistan’s Punjab province

How many wars have India and Pakistan fought?

Four – three of them over Kashmir.

Two months after the end of the British rule and emergence of the two South Asian nations, a war over Kashmir erupted between them. Pakistani militias invaded Kashmir, then ruled by a Hindu king, to claim full control over the region. The king, Hari Singh, pleaded with India for help. New Delhi agreed on condition that Singh would sign an instrument of accession, merging Kashmir with India. The king agreed. The war ended in 1948, and a ceasefire agreement allowing India and Pakistan to control parts of Kashmir came into effect on January 1, 1949.

In 1965, a clash between Indian and Pakistani border forces escalated into a full-blown war. Pakistani forces crossed the ceasefire line into Indian-administered Kashmir, while Indian forces crossed the international border into Pakistan’s Lahore city and launched attacks. After thousands of casualties on both sides, a UN Security Council resolution ended the war.

In 1971, Pakistan and India were embroiled in an armed conflict over then East Pakistan, which Indian forces helped liberate, leading to the establishment of Bangladesh as a nation. In 1972, India and Pakistan signed the Simla Agreement, which established a Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Kashmir into two parts.

In 1999, Pakistani soldiers crossed the LoC, sparking a war in Kargil area of Indian-administered Kashmir. Indian troops were able to push Pakistani soldiers back after bloody battles in the snowy heights of the Ladakh region.

Pakistan speaks of ‘crushing response’

In a social media post, Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, accused India of carrying out “cowardly attacks on innocent civilians and mosques”.

India said it had hit “terrorist infrastructure”, claiming it struck sites where attacks against it were planned and directed.

In his post, Tarar said that “the Armed Forces of Pakistan are delivering a crushing response, exactly in line with the sentiments of the people”, without offering details.

“This nation will hold the enemy accountable for every single drop of its martyrs’ blood,” he added.

India briefed US after missile attack on Pakistan

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly after the attacks against Pakistan, the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, says.

“India’s actions have been focused and precise,” the embassy said in a statement.

It added that Rubio, who is also Trump’s acting US national security adviser, had been briefed “on the actions taken”.

India-Pakistan Fighting: PM Sharif says Pakistan responding to attacks

PM Sharif says Pakistan responding to attacks

Wednasday, May 7, 2025

In a post on X, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decried the strike as an “act of war”.

“Pakistan has every right to give a befitting reply to this act of war imposed by India and a befitting reply is being given,” he said.

“The enemy will never be allowed to succeed in his nefarious objectives,” he said, adding that the morale of the Pakistani nation is high.

India accuses Pakistan of firing into village in Indian-administered Kashmir

The Indian military says Pakistan fired into Bhimber Gali, a village near the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Pakistan- and India-administered Kashmir.

In a post on X, the army said it is “responding appropriately in a calibrated manner”.

‘It’s a shame,’ Trump says of India-Pakistan escalation

US President Donald Trump has been asked by reporters about the ongoing crisis.

“It’s a shame. We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval (Office),” he said.

“I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time,” the US president added.

"I hope it ends very quickly."

Pakistan’s PM summons National Security Committee

Shehbaz Sharif has summoned the National Security Committee to meet at 10am (05:00 GMT) today, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar has said, according to state broadcaster Pakistan Television.

Head of Pakistan’s Punjab province tells residents to stay in their homes

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of the Pakistani province of Punjab, has urged residents to avoid leaving their homes “unnecessarily” and to heed instructions from the authorities following India’s attacks.

In a statement shared on social media, she also instructed hospitals, rescue workers, and other state institutions to “remain on alert on an emergency basis”.

“We want peace, but with respect. If war is imposed, the entire nation will become an army,” the chief minister said.

Pakistan will defend its sovereignty ‘by all means’: Foreign minister

Ishaq Dar has denounced India’s attacks as a “flagrant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty”.

“It has jeopardized regional peace,” the foreign minister wrote on X, adding that the country would defend its “sovereignty & territorial integrity by all means”.

UN chief calls for ‘maximum military restraint from both countries’

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has released the following statement:

“The secretary-general is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border.

“He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”

‘A dangerous escalation’
Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

These attacks took place at several different locations.

According to the Pakistani military sources, Pakistan is right now responding with the befitting response at several locations across the Line of Control and across the border.

We were able to hear fighter jets up in the air.

So it is indeed an evolving situation, but Pakistan is now confirming that it is already carrying out reprisal attacks against the Indian missile attack.

This is a dangerous escalation given the fact that Pakistan has said that it wanted concrete evidence after the Pahalgam attack, saying that India was quick to point the finger of blame at it.

Pakistan said it wanted a neutral inquiry; the attackers are still at large and Pakistan said this was a knee-jerk reaction.

US says it’s in touch with both Pakistan and India

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has called on both countries to “work towards a responsible resolution that maintains long-term peace and regional stability in South Asia”.

“We remain in touch with the governments of both countries at multiple levels,” she said.

The United States has close relations with India and voiced solidarity after April’s attack. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week called top officials from both nuclear-armed nations and advised de-escalation.

India-Pakistan fighting: India fires missiles into Pakistan

6 May, 2025
India’s army has launched "Operation Sindoor" – hitting nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan’s military says India attacked Pakistan with missiles in three places and that Islamabad will respond.

The Indian army said, "Justice is served" in a post on X after the missiles were fired.

Tensions have been escalating between India and Pakistan since the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025 which India blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan has denied any involvement.

Pakistan will respond ‘at a time and place of its own choosing’

The spokesman for Pakistan’s armed forces has said the military respond to India’s strike "at a time and place of its own choosing".

"It will not go unanswered,"
the spokesman said in the statement, which was carried by the Associated Press of Pakistan.

DG ISPR:

India has struck three places from air.
Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad

All planes of Pakistan Air Force are airborne. All strikes were made by India from its own airspace.

Pakistan will respond to it at a time and place of its own choosing. It will not go… pic.twitter.com/AdL6lIh0jr

— APP (@appcsocialmedia) May 6, 2025

Pakistani military says 2 killed, 12 injured

We’ll bring you more on the aftermath of India’s attacks as soon as we can.

Pakistani military official: India attacks targeted 3 cities

Abid Hussain, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Lieutenant Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of public relations for Pakistan’s Armed Forces, confirmed India fired missiles at three different cities.

Chaudhry said the attacks were launched from India’s territory and no breach of Pakistani airspace took place.

The missiles targeted the civilian population in Muzzafarabad and Kotli in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, as well as in Bahawalpur, a city in Pakistan’s Punjab province, he said.

In depth analysis  with kemal Hyder.

US urges India and Pakistan to de-escalate Kashmir tensions after deadly attack

Thursday, May 1, 2025
Tensions are rising between India and Pakistan following the killing of 26 tourists in Indian Kashmir. India blames Pakistan for the attack — an allegation Islamabad strongly denies. In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged both nuclear-armed neighbors to de-escalate the situation and avoid further violence.

Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports .

Israel violating international law in Palestinian territories: UN expert

Thursday, May 1, 2025  
As the International Court of Justice examines Israel’s conduct in the war on Palestinian territories and its responsibilities as an occupying power, Al Jazeera's Sami Zeidan interviews Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Albanese outlines Israel’s repeated violations of international law and UN resolutions.

US-Ukraine deal amid ongoing Russian attacks

Thursday, May 1, 2025  
Those attacks come as the US and Ukraine announced the establishment of a reconstruction investment fund. Ukraine's prime minister says the details will be discussed in parliament in the coming hours. The long-awaited agreement allows Washington access to Kyiv's rare earth minerals. The US says the deal is proof it's committed to a peace process that will end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi joins live from Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

Pahalgam attack: India stops visa service for Pakistani citizens, what steps did India take against Pakistan?

Thursday, 24 April 2025

India on Thursday, 24 April 2025 announced the suspension of visa services for Pakistani citizens with immediate effect.

Giving this information, the Indian Foreign Ministry said, "The decision has been taken in view of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam." The Indian Foreign Ministry said that all the existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani citizens will be considered canceled from 27 April 2025. Medical visas issued to Pakistani citizens will be valid only till 29 April 2025. Indian citizens are advised not to travel to Pakistan. All Indian citizens who are currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India as soon as possible."

On Tuesday, 22 April 2025, terrorists attacked Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir and killed 26 people. Many were injured. Most of the people killed were tourists.

Pahalgam is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Kashmir.

What steps did India take against Pakistan?

On Wednesday, 23 April 2025, the Cabinet of Security Affairs headed by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in New Delhi Many decisions were taken in the meeting of the Committee (CCS).

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said that cross border linkages of this terrorist attack have been found. After this, India informed about the decisions taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs.

Many decisions were taken in this meeting, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and closing the Attari border. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed about the decisions taken in the CCS meeting.

India has decided to suspend the 1960 Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan with immediate effect. This decision will remain in force until Pakistan stops supporting cross-border terrorism in a credible manner.

India has also decided to close the Attari Integrated Check Post with immediate effect. The government has said that those who have come here on the basis of valid documents can go back through this route before 1 May 2025.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that now Pakistani citizens will not be able to travel to India on the basis of visas issued under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Visas previously issued to Pakistani citizens under SVES will be considered cancelled. All Pakistani citizens who are in India under SVES will have to leave India within 48 hours.

The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Force advisers of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared persona non grata. They have been given a week's time to leave India. India is also recalling the Defence/Military, Naval and Air Force advisers of its High Commission in Islamabad. These posts will be considered abolished in both the High Commissions.

Five support staff of these military advisers will also be withdrawn from both the High Commissions.

The number of employees in the High Commissions will be gradually reduced from 55 to 30. This decision will come into effect from May 1, 2025.

The CCS reviewed the security situation in India and asked the security forces to remain extremely vigilant.

It was said in the meeting that strict action will be taken against those who conspired for the Pahalgam attack.

Pahalgam attack: Pakistan takes strict steps in response to India's action

Thursday, 24 April 2025

After the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan has also announced to take several steps in response to India's action against Pakistan.

Several decisions were taken in the National Security Council meeting held in Islamabad on Thursday, 24 April 2025, under the chairmanship of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

These include the announcement of suspending bilateral agreements with India, closing airspace and borders and suspending trade.

Like India, Pakistan has also asked defense advisors and their assistants to leave the country. Also, it has limited its diplomatic staff.

The statement of this meeting rejected India's decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, saying that any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water of Pakistan's share under this treaty would be considered an act of war and would be responded to with full force.

The statement said that in view of India's reckless and irresponsible behaviour of willfully disregarding international conventions, UN Security Council resolutions and international obligations, Pakistan will exercise the right to suspend all bilateral agreements with India, including the Shimla Agreement, until India desists from its behaviour of promoting terrorism within Pakistan, committing killings abroad and non-compliance with UN resolutions on Kashmir.

Pakistan has announced the immediate closure of its airspace to all airlines owned or operated by India, as well as the immediate closure of the Wagah border.

However, as per the announcement, those who have crossed the border into India with valid documents can return through this route till April 30, 2025.

Pakistan has suspended all visas granted to all Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Waiver Programme, except Sikh pilgrims, and said these should be treated as cancelled. Indian nationals residing in Pakistan on such visas have been directed to leave the country within 48 hours.

Further, the announcement said that all trade with India is also being suspended and this will also apply to trade through any third country.

Pakistan has also declared Indian defence/military advisers in Islamabad as persona non grata and asked them to leave the country immediately, while the support staff of these advisers have also been directed to return.

According to the announcement, the number of staff at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad will be limited to 30 from April 30, 2025.

Pakistan's National Security Council has said that in the absence of any credible investigation and verifiable evidence, attempts to link the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan are futile, irrational and a sign of logical failure.

The statement also said that Pakistan condemns all forms of terrorism without any discrimination and has suffered heavy losses as a leading country in the world against terrorism.

The Council says that India's clichéd narrative of being a victim cannot hide its culpability in promoting terrorism on Pakistani soil nor can it divert attention from the systematic and human rights violations taking place in India's Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan has said that contrary to Indian claims, it has irrefutable evidence of Indian-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan, including the confession of former Indian Navy officer Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Russia’s Putin declares unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine conflict

Sunday, Apr 20, 2025  
President Vladimir Putin has announced a unilateral Easter truce in Russia’s war on Ukraine, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said shortly after that Ukrainian air defence units were fighting off an attack by Russian drones, adding that it was “another attempt by Putin to play with human lives”. Zelenskyy said on X that, “air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine” and “Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life”.

Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi reports from Kyiv, while Yulia Shapovalova joins live from Moscow. Meanwhile, Hanna Shelest, Director of the Security Studies Program at Ukrainian Prism—a foreign policy and security think tank—joins Al Jazeera’s live from Odesa, Ukraine.