Pakistan Launches Retaliatory Strikes After Air Base Attacks
Pakistan launched retaliatory attacks against India following overnight missile strikes, marks a major escalation in the long-standing conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors
Pakistan, PUREWILAYAH.COM - The government of Pakistan launched retaliatory attacks against India on Saturday following overnight missile strikes that targeted three of its air bases. The development marks a major escalation in the long-standing conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The strikes come after several days of mounting tensions, raising international concerns that the situation could spiral into a full-scale war.
The Pakistani military responded to what it said were missile attacks launched by India on its sovereign territory.
Nur Khan Air Base Among Targets; Pakistan Issues Strong Warning
In a late-night televised address, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for the Pakistani military, stated that while three air bases had come under attack, the majority of incoming missiles were intercepted and “no flying assets” were damaged.
One of the targeted facilities was Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, located just ten kilometers from the capital, Islamabad. The base is a key strategic site that frequently hosts foreign dignitaries; notably, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, had visited only hours before the attack.
"Now you just wait for our response," Chaudhry warned India, signaling the seriousness of Pakistan’s position.
Missile Exchanges and Drone Warfare Intensify Along the Line of Control
The most recent escalation began on Wednesday when India carried out airstrikes on Pakistani territory following a terror incident in Indian-administered Kashmir, for which it blamed Pakistan.
Since then, both countries have exchanged missile fire, engaged in drone warfare, and clashed along the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.
The Indian army reported additional attacks by Pakistan on Saturday. “Pakistan’s blatant escalation with drone strikes and other munitions continues along our western border,” the army stated on social media platform X.
In Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, AFP journalists reported hearing loud explosions. Meanwhile, in Amritsar—a key Indian military cantonment in the border state of Punjab—the Indian army stated that several drones were "instantly engaged and destroyed" by its air defense units.
Civilian Casualties Mount as Global Leaders Call for Restraint
The Kashmir escalation has resulted in the deaths of more than 50 civilians, making it one of the deadliest flare-ups in decades between India and Pakistan.
The G7 group of industrialized nations has urged both sides to exercise restraint, while the United States has offered to mediate as tensions continue to spiral.
International observers warn that continued provocation could drive both nuclear-armed nations into an uncontrollable conflict with devastating implications for South Asia and global stability. (PW)
Source: Al-Mayadeen