India fired missiles across the border into Pakistani-administered territory in at least five locations early Wednesday local time, killing at least one child and injuring two other people, Pakistani security officials said. India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants.
The strikes came amid soaring tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors over last month’s militant attack on tourists in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir. India has blamed Pakistan for backing the militant attack, which Islamabad has denied.
A spokesperson for the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the strikes hit Muridke and Bahawalpur, and across the Line of Control in Kotli and Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. One of them struck a mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, where a child was killed, and a woman and man were injured, one official told The Associated Press.
“India’s act of aggression has resulted in martyrdom of civilians, including women and children,” the spokesperson said. “This act of aggression has also caused grave threat to commercial air traffic.”
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations division of the Pakistan Armed Forces, the missiles were air-launched. Witnesses in Bahawalpur reported seeing a bright light in the sky moments before a powerful explosion.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed attacks on five locations, labeling them an act of cowardice.
“Pakistan has the right to fully respond to the Indian-imposed military action, and a befitting response is being given,” Sharif said. “The entire nation stands with the Pakistani armed forces.”
Residents in Muzaffarabad said they heard multiple loud explosions after midnight, followed by a complete power blackout across the area.
“We were just about to go to bed when a huge blast happened, it was very big and terrifying explosions,” Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool, a resident living near the mosque, told CBS News.
India has not issued an official statement regarding the alleged missile strikes.
State-run Pakistan Television Corporation, quoting security officials, said the country’s air force shot down two Indian jets in retaliation but provided no additional details.
The Pakistani security officials said Pakistan had launched retaliatory strikes, without providing any details. The officials spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the record.
The Pakistani army spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, told ARY News that the missiles were launched from within Indian territory and that no Indian aircraft had entered Pakistani airspace.
“This was a cowardly attack targeting innocent civilians under the cover of darkness,” Sharif told the broadcaster.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Trump called the strikes “a shame.”
“We just heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval,” Mr. Trump said. “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. You know, they’ve been fighting for many many decades, and centuries actually, if you really think about it. No, I just hope it ends very quickly.”
India’s Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.”
“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the ministry said, adding that “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”
“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” it added.
A spokesperson for the State Department said it was aware of the reports but had “no assessment to offer at this time.”
“This remains an evolving situation, and we are closely monitoring developments,” the spokesperson said.
Last week, Pakistan’s government claimed it had “credible intelligence” that India was planning to take military action within hours in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack.
In the wake of the escalating crisis, both countries have expelled diplomats, suspended mutual airspace usage, and halted a key water-sharing treaty.
contributed to this report.