New Delhi:
India attacked nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) early on Wednesday following a deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam last month. At least eight people were killed in the missile attack, according to Pakistan, which said it had begun retaliating in a major escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals. The Indian army also said that three civilians had been killed overnight by artillery fired by Pakistan’s army along the Line of Control border.
Defence Ministry, in a statement, said its “precision” strikes on “terrorist camps” were following up on its “commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable.”
United States: Reacting to the rising India-Pakistan tensions, US President Donald Trump called it a shame and hoped that it would end “very quickly.”
“It’s a shame, we just heard about it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time.”
The US president added: “I just hope it ends very quickly.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X he was “monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely” while adding that Washington will continue to engage the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours towards a “peaceful resolution.”
The Indian Embassy in Washington said Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval spoke with Rubio and briefed him about India’s military actions.
China: China has expressed concern over Indian strikes on Pakistan, urging both sides to show restraint in response to a major escalation between its nuclear-armed neighbours.
“We call on both India and Pakistan to prioritise peace and stability, remain calm and restrained and avoid taking actions that further complicate the situation,” a spokesperson for Beijing’s foreign ministry said.
Beijing also said it was willing to play a “constructive role” in easing tensions between Pakistan and India in response to a major escalation between its nuclear-armed neighbours.
“We are willing to work together with the international community and continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tensions,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a briefing.
Russia: Moscow has called for both India and Pakistan to show “restraint” after they exchanged heavy artillery fire following deadly missile strikes by New Delhi, in the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades.
Russia’s foreign ministry said it was “deeply concerned by the escalation of military confrontation”, called “on the parties to exercise restraint to prevent further deterioration” and said it hoped tensions could be “resolved through peaceful, diplomatic means.”
United Kingdom: The UK is ready to support both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions, Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said on Wednesday.
“Our message would be that we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries. Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do,” he told BBC radio.
The Foreign Office advised British nationals against travel within eight kilometres (five miles) of the India-Pakistan border, within 16 kilometres of the Line of Control — a heavily fortified zone of high-altitude Himalayan outposts that represents the de facto Kashmir border — and all travel to the southwestern Balochistan province of Pakistan.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities,” it added.
Israel: Israel has backed ‘India’s right to self-defence’ after missile strikes on Pakistan. Taking to X, Reuven Azar, Israeli Ambassador to India, sid Israel “supports India’s right for self-defence”, adding that “Terrorists should know there’s no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent”.
United Nations: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was very concerned about Indian military operations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, his spokesperson said on Tuesday while calling for maximum military restraint from India and Pakistan.
“The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and the international border. He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries,” the spokesperson said.
“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”
UAE: The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, asked India and Pakistan “to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace,” according to a statement from UAE Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“His Highness reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity,” the statement read.
Indian Strike On Pakistan
Indian forces targeted the headquarters of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba groups in the missile attacks against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said.
Among the nine sites targeted are the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and the LeT’s in Muridke, both in Pakistan Punjab, they said.
A Pakistani armed forces spokesperson confirmed tothe BBC in an interview that the IAF had targeted Bahawalpur and Muridke.
India has categorically stated that its actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature and that no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India’s action comes two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.
