India and Pakistan exchanged missiles, shells, and words in a region that has seen three wars and raising alarms about another between the nuclear superpower neighbours.India said its pre‑dawn attack was a “focused” answer to last month’s killing of 26 Hindu tourists in Kashmir. Pakistan called the attack an act of war and said children were among at least 26 people killed.The Indian Defence Ministry said nine suspected militant sites in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir and eastern Punjab province were hit. “No Pakistani military facilities were targeted,” the Indian government statement claimed..Pakistan’s military reported six strikes, adding that it shot down several Indian fighter jets. Three planes crashed on the Indian side of the Line of Control, igniting fierce cross‑border gunfire that local officials said killed seven Indian civilians.Sirens wailed in frontier villages as both armies traded artillery. Tensions surged since an April 22 shooting in the resort town of Pahalgam, where gunmen forced husbands to watch before killing them. India blames a group called Kashmir Resistance, which it says is linked to the banned Pakistani outfit Lashkar‑e‑Taiba. .Islamabad denies any role.In the fallout, they expelled diplomats, halted trade, sealed their skies, and even froze a river‑sharing treaty. Wednesday’s missiles marked the sharpest escalation yet.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed a “robust response.” United Nations Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres urged “maximum restraint,” while China, Pakistan’s biggest investor and India’s border rival, also appealed for calm..Leaders in both capitals met with security chiefs. Indian Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi postponed a trip to Europe and ordered civil defence drills in several states. Pakistan’s National Security Committee met behind closed doors in Islamabad.India code named its operation “Sindoor,” a reference to the red powder worn by married Hindu women. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posted a brief message on Twitter/X, “Victory to Mother India.”
