Pakistan Promises Retaliation Following Indian Missile Strikes on Three Air Bases

Pakistan has reported that India launched missile strikes on three airbases within its territory, but emphasized that most of the missiles were intercepted. Amid these heightened tensions, retaliatory strikes by Pakistan were already in progress. This latest escalation follows a massacre last month in India, which India attributes to Pakistan. The Pakistani military announced that it targeted Indian missile storage facilities and airbases using medium-range Fateh missiles, specifically focusing on locations in Pathankot and Udhampur.

Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif stated that Pakistan’s air force assets remained intact despite the Indian strikes, which also reportedly affected India’s eastern Punjab region. Sharif branded the Indian action as a significant provocation. In response to the crisis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of the National Command Authority, which oversees the nation’s missile program and strategic assets. Tensions have escalated since an attack on April 22 at a popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of 26 civilians, primarily Hindus.

India accuses Pakistan of complicity in the attack, a claim that Pakistan vehemently denies. Following discussions between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, the U.S. urged both nations to de-escalate and offered assistance for constructive talks. These calls for dialogue occurred before the recent missile strikes targeting key airbases in Pakistan. Reports from Indian-controlled Kashmir indicated loud explosions following Pakistan’s announcement of its retaliatory actions.

Meanwhile, the Indian army claimed to have countered multiple armed drones over its territory. Civil aviation authorities in Pakistan temporarily shut down airport operations as a precaution. Both nations are engaged in a series of cross-border exchanges that have resulted in civilian casualties. The Group of Seven nations has called for maximum restraint, highlighting the serious threat to regional stability posed by further military escalation.