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| Pakistan says retaliatory strikes under way after accusing India of targeting military bases | Pakistan says retaliatory strikes under way after accusing India of targeting military bases |
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| Pakistan officials confirm counterattack against India has begun under the name Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos, meaning ‘wall of lead’ in Arabic | Pakistan officials confirm counterattack against India has begun under the name Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos, meaning ‘wall of lead’ in Arabic |
| Pakistan said it had begun retaliation strikes after accusing India of targeting three of its military bases with missiles fired from fighter jets, in a major escalation of the brewing conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. | Pakistan said it had begun retaliation strikes after accusing India of targeting three of its military bases with missiles fired from fighter jets, in a major escalation of the brewing conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. |
| Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said India had fired six surface-to-air missiles targeting Nur Khan, Murid and Shorkot, three of Pakistan’s most important military bases, early on Saturday morning. He said most were intercepted by Pakistani air defences. | Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said India had fired six surface-to-air missiles targeting Nur Khan, Murid and Shorkot, three of Pakistan’s most important military bases, early on Saturday morning. He said most were intercepted by Pakistani air defences. |
| Shortly afterwards, Pakistan officials confirmed they had begun their counter-attack against India, under the name Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos, a phrase from the Qur’an roughly translating to “wall of lead”. | Shortly afterwards, Pakistan officials confirmed they had begun their counter-attack against India, under the name Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos, a phrase from the Qur’an roughly translating to “wall of lead”. |
| Pakistan said the retaliation strikes targeted Indian army infrastructure and bases, including Pathankot military air field and the BrahMos missile storage site in the Indian state of Punjab as well as Udhampur air force base in Indian-administered Kashmir. Explosions and shelling from anti-aircraft guns was heard in the vicinity of all the sites. Loud explosions were also heard in the Indian-Kashmir city of Srinagar. | Pakistan said the retaliation strikes targeted Indian army infrastructure and bases, including Pathankot military air field and the BrahMos missile storage site in the Indian state of Punjab as well as Udhampur air force base in Indian-administered Kashmir. Explosions and shelling from anti-aircraft guns was heard in the vicinity of all the sites. Loud explosions were also heard in the Indian-Kashmir city of Srinagar. |
| Pakistan‘s planning minister Ahsan Iqbal told local media that “special measures” had been taken to avoid civilian targets in India and that they were striking military locations that had been used to target Pakistan. “We would hate to see the nuclear threshold being breached,” said Iqbal. | |
| Cities and districts in Punjab, Haryana and across Indian-administered Kashmir were put on red alert, with residents told to remain indoors and blackout orders enforced. | Cities and districts in Punjab, Haryana and across Indian-administered Kashmir were put on red alert, with residents told to remain indoors and blackout orders enforced. |
| India did not immediately comment on any alleged strikes but a statement from the ministry of defence said: “The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems.” | India did not immediately comment on any alleged strikes but a statement from the ministry of defence said: “The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems.” |
| The Indian army said that Pakistan’s “blatant escalation with drones and other munitions continues along our western borders”. They said multiple hostile drones had been spotted over the Punjab city of Amritsar, which were “instantly engaged and destroyed by our air defence units”. | The Indian army said that Pakistan’s “blatant escalation with drones and other munitions continues along our western borders”. They said multiple hostile drones had been spotted over the Punjab city of Amritsar, which were “instantly engaged and destroyed by our air defence units”. |
| Among the military bases said to be targeted by Indian missiles was Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, where the military has its headquarters, which is around 10km from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. In the aftermath of the strikes, Pakistan shut down its air space. | Among the military bases said to be targeted by Indian missiles was Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, where the military has its headquarters, which is around 10km from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. In the aftermath of the strikes, Pakistan shut down its air space. |
| Video shared on social media showed flames and smoke billowing into the night sky as a voice can be heard saying, “There has been an attack on Nur Khan base.” | Video shared on social media showed flames and smoke billowing into the night sky as a voice can be heard saying, “There has been an attack on Nur Khan base.” |
| The early morning strike on Nur Khan caused mass panic in the densely populated area, with residents running into the streets. “There was a loud explosion which woke everyone up. It was so scary, everyone is still in a panic,” said one resident living nearby. | The early morning strike on Nur Khan caused mass panic in the densely populated area, with residents running into the streets. “There was a loud explosion which woke everyone up. It was so scary, everyone is still in a panic,” said one resident living nearby. |
| India’s attempted strikes on Rawalpindi and other key military bases – and the launch of Pakistan’s counter-attack on Saturday – marks the steepest escalation in their confrontation yet, bringing the two countries the closest they have been to war in decades. | India’s attempted strikes on Rawalpindi and other key military bases – and the launch of Pakistan’s counter-attack on Saturday – marks the steepest escalation in their confrontation yet, bringing the two countries the closest they have been to war in decades. |
| On Wednesday India’s missiles struck nine sites in Pakistan killing 31 people. Those strikes in turn were India’s response to an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir late last month, in which militants killed 25 Hindu tourists and a guide, which they blamed on Pakistani-backed extremists. | |
| India’s targeting of Pakistani army bases came hours after Indian said Pakistan had launched yet another wave of drone attacks across 26 locations over the state of Punjab and Indian-administered Kashmir on Friday night. Explosions were heard near the airport in Srinagar, the main city in India-administered Kashmir. | India’s targeting of Pakistani army bases came hours after Indian said Pakistan had launched yet another wave of drone attacks across 26 locations over the state of Punjab and Indian-administered Kashmir on Friday night. Explosions were heard near the airport in Srinagar, the main city in India-administered Kashmir. |
| The Indian army said they had largely intercepted the drones but police said three people in the Ferozepur district of Punjab, which borders Pakistan, had been injured from the drone attacks, one in a critical condition. | The Indian army said they had largely intercepted the drones but police said three people in the Ferozepur district of Punjab, which borders Pakistan, had been injured from the drone attacks, one in a critical condition. |
| Earlier in the day, India accused Pakistan of launching an attack using up to 400 drones to target cities, military bases and places of worship across the north of the country on Thursday. | Earlier in the day, India accused Pakistan of launching an attack using up to 400 drones to target cities, military bases and places of worship across the north of the country on Thursday. |
| India claimed to have intercepted hundreds of Pakistani drones, which it said came across the border into Indian-administered Kashmir, as well as Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat. It said a first wave of drones came on Thursday evening and another wave hit close to dawn on Friday. | India claimed to have intercepted hundreds of Pakistani drones, which it said came across the border into Indian-administered Kashmir, as well as Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat. It said a first wave of drones came on Thursday evening and another wave hit close to dawn on Friday. |
| India said it had launched four drone strikes at Pakistan, directly targeting military defence infrastructure. | India said it had launched four drone strikes at Pakistan, directly targeting military defence infrastructure. |
| In a press conference on Friday, the Indian military alleged that Pakistan’s drone attacks on Thursday had targeted a gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, injuring a civilian, and that the drones had also targeted Christian churches. | In a press conference on Friday, the Indian military alleged that Pakistan’s drone attacks on Thursday had targeted a gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, injuring a civilian, and that the drones had also targeted Christian churches. |
| Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, had denied the drone attacks. However, a Pakistan security official said that Thursday night’s drone strikes were just to “heat things up” before Pakistan launched a fully fledged retaliatory attack. | Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, had denied the drone attacks. However, a Pakistan security official said that Thursday night’s drone strikes were just to “heat things up” before Pakistan launched a fully fledged retaliatory attack. |
| Speaking to Geo News after Pakistan began its counter attack, Ishaq Dar, the country’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister, said Pakistan had been left with no choice to retaliate. | Speaking to Geo News after Pakistan began its counter attack, Ishaq Dar, the country’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister, said Pakistan had been left with no choice to retaliate. |
| “There was no other option because India showed no sincerity in response to the diplomatic efforts made by friendly countries,” he said. “We acted only after India continued firing drones and missiles.” | “There was no other option because India showed no sincerity in response to the diplomatic efforts made by friendly countries,” he said. “We acted only after India continued firing drones and missiles.” |
| The US state department confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Pakistan’s both army chief Gen Asim Munir and India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar early on Saturday morning. Rubio called for de-escalation and “offered US assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts”, said a state department spokesperson. |