New Delhi — In a dramatic military escalation not seen since 1971, India launched missile strikes early Wednesday on nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, prompting fears of a broader conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Dubbed Operation Sindoor, the Indian government said the strikes were a “restrained” response to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. India has blamed Pakistan for the deadly assault, though Islamabad has denied any involvement.
The Indian Army claimed the strikes were “non-escalatory” and deliberately avoided Pakistani military facilities, instead focusing on what it described as “terrorist infrastructure.” However, Pakistani officials said the missiles hit six cities, killing at least eight civilians, including two children. Pakistan also claimed to have shot down several Indian jets in retaliation.
Among the locations struck were Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Pakistan-administered Kashmir—longstanding flashpoints in India-Pakistan tensions—as well as four cities in Pakistan’s Punjab province: Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot, and Shakar Garh. Muridke lies on the outskirts of Lahore, a city of 14 million and Pakistan’s second-largest metropolis. Striking targets so close to Lahore marks a significant shift in India’s military posture.
“This is not like Balakot in 2019,” said political analyst Sumantra Bose. “These are major civilian population centres. It’s proper Pakistan, not disputed territory.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has emphasized that the attacks were measured, with the aim of delivering justice without triggering an all-out war. The narrative appears to be designed to project strength domestically while signaling restraint internationally.
Still, analysts warn that the scale and location of the strikes have significantly raised the risk of a wider conflict in South Asia, a region where even limited engagements can quickly spiral due to historical animosities and the presence of nuclear arsenals on both sides.