Islamabad vows retaliation as India strikes on Pakistani territories kill dozens

CAIRO – 7 May 2025: A dangerous escalation has erupted between India and Pakistan following a series of Indian missile strikes deep within Pakistani territory.

The strikes, which India claims targeted infrastructure linked to a recent tourist massacre, killed at least 26 deaths, including a child, and sparked a furious response from Islamabad.

The strikes were followed by intense exchanges of fire across the disputed border, claiming more lives on both sides.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Indian strikes and vowed retaliation.

“Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” Sharif said.

Pakistan claims to have downed several Indian fighter jets, while India reports civilian casualties from Pakistani shelling.

They attack in the middle of the night.

Pakistan will strike in broad daylight. pic.twitter.com/yuyUl04Lt0

— Defence Pakistan (@Defence_PK99) May 7, 2025

The root of the conflict lies in the contested region of Kashmir, a territory divided between the two nations but claimed in full by both. Decades of tension and two previous wars have failed to resolve the dispute, leaving the region a constant flashpoint.

The latest violence was triggered by a brutal attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, an act claimed by a militant group called Lashkar-e-Taiba.

India has accused Pakistan of backing the attack, a charge Islamabad denies.

Analysts warn of a potentially devastating cycle of retaliation between the two nuclear-armed powers.

The United Nations has called for maximum restraint, emphasizing the catastrophic consequences of a full-blown military confrontation.

India's military has reportedly named its operation "Sindoor," a reference to the Hindu tradition symbolizing married women, a stark reminder of the widows created by last month’s massacre.