Tensions rise as deadly India-Pakistan conflict escalates
At least 36 people have been killed and 94 injured due to Indian attacks in Pakistan and Pakistani attacks in India, according to information released on Wednesday by Indian police and Pakistani armed forces. Appeals from around the world are being made to both countries to take actions aimed at stabilizing the situation.
What do you need to know?
- The conflict in the Kashmir region is escalating. On April 22 in Pahalgam, a picturesque tourist resort, an attack occurred in which at least 26 people died. The Resistance Front (TRF) organization claimed responsibility for the attack.
- Reaction after the attack: The event intensified the conflict between India and Pakistan.
- Tension escalates: India attacked Pakistan. There is concern that the conflict will widen, and appeals have been made for both sides to exercise restraint and calm the situation.
What happened between Pakistan and India?
India carried out attacks on targets in Pakistan and the Pakistani part of the disputed region, Kashmir, overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. On both sides of the border, 36 people were killed and 94 were injured.
"Pakistan said on Wednesday that at least 26 people were killed and 46 others injured in the Indian attacks, accusing New Delhi of committing an 'act of war.' India said at least eight people were killed by Pakistani shelling," Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, Indian police reported at least 10 people killed and 48 injured in India. According to Indian services, artillery fire targeted, among other places, the village of Poonch in Indian Kashmir, and explosions were heard near Srinagar, the largest city in Indian Kashmir.
According to Pakistani military spokesperson Gen. Ahmed Sharif, Pakistan shot down five enemy aircraft in Indian airspace. This happened after the aircraft attacked Pakistani territory.
What are the most tragic consequences of the Indian attack?
According to Chaudhry, the losses from the Indian attack on a mosque in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab are dramatic. Thirteen people, including two three-year-old girls, were killed.
The targets of the Indian attacks included Pakistani dams, one of which, located in Kashmir, was damaged.
What is the reaction in Pakistan?
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned India's embassy charge d'affaires to express a strong protest against the Indian "unprovoked attacks." The Indian diplomat was informed that this "blatant act of aggression" is a clear violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. It was warned that such "dangerous" behaviour poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
How did the world react?
The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan. Guterres himself expressed concern over Indian military operations along the Line of Control and the international border and urged both countries to exercise "maximum restraint."
The governments of China, Japan, the USA, France, and Russia have called on both sides to maintain calm. The UK government expressed readiness to take actions to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan. British Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds declared assistance.
The Wednesday attacks are the first military actions by India on Pakistani territory since 2019. India accused Pakistan then of carrying out a suicide bombing attack on Indian paramilitary officers, and previously, since the war of 1971, India had not attacked its neighbour.
