Tensions Soar: Pakistan Retaliates After Indian Airstrikes Kill Dozens

India and Pakistan exchanged fire after a series of deadly missile strikes, with both nations suffering casualties. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed retaliation, declaring that Islamabad would avenge the blood of the victims. India carried out the strikes in response to what it called the destruction of "terrorist camps" in Pakistan, claiming these actions were precise and non-escalatory. This attack followed India’s accusations that Pakistan had supported an assault on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, a charge Pakistan has denied.

The violence claimed at least 43 lives on both sides, including children. Pakistan reported that 31 civilians were killed due to Indian strikes and border shelling, while India acknowledged 12 fatalities from Pakistani fire. In addition, Pakistan's military claimed to have downed five Indian jets, although India has not confirmed the reports, with one senior Indian security official stating that three of its fighter jets had crashed on home soil.

The Indian airstrikes targeted several locations, including an Islamic seminary near Bahawalpur, where 13 people reportedly died. Descriptions from witnesses like Madasar Choudhary spoke of tragic scenes, such as children being killed by shrapnel in Poonch after Indian strikes hit nearby homes. In Muzaffarabad, panic ensued as Indian missiles struck a mosque, further intensifying the crisis.

Pakistan’s military responded swiftly, firing across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir. A military spokesperson affirmed that the armed forces had been authorized to retaliate, choosing the time and method of their response. India, in turn, reported firing artillery and small arms at multiple locations overnight, claiming its actions were proportional.

Both nations have a long history of conflicts, with Kashmir remaining a perennial flashpoint since their partition in 1947. The recent skirmishes stemmed from tensions over a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in which 26 people, mostly Hindus, were killed. India accused the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the assault, and diplomatic relations between the two countries soured.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh defended the airstrikes as a legitimate response to the Pahalgam attack, while Pakistan's military reiterated its right to retaliate against what it described as an act of war. The situation has sparked global concern, with calls from leaders like U.S. President Donald Trump for both sides to de-escalate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, after visits to both New Delhi and Islamabad, has also urged for restraint as Tehran tries to mediate.

Experts expect further retaliatory measures from Pakistan to "save face" in both domestic and international contexts, although it’s believed that the conflict may resolve with limited exchanges of fire rather than full-scale warfare.