Pakistan initiates counterattack following Indian missile strikes on 3 air bases

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Pakistan responds to Indian missile strikes with retaliation

Buoyed by escalating tensions, Pakistan declared a military reprisal on India following a series of missile attacks on Pakistani air bases on the 7th of May. India's claim that the missiles targeted militant groups based in Pakistan was dismissed by Islamabad, who accused India of aiming civilian areas, leading to casualties.

According to Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, Pakistan's military spokesperson, Fateh medium-range missiles were used to hit an Indian missile storage facility and airbases in Pathankot and Udhampur. Thankfully, Pakistan reported that its air force assets were unscathed. In response, some of India's incoming missiles also landed in East Punjab.

Sharif labeled the incident a "provocation of the highest order," but India remained silent regarding the allegations. In a surprising move, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned a meeting of the National Command Authority, Pakistan's oversight body for the country's missile program and strategic assets.

The feud between the nuclear-armed adversaries has intensified following the guards' attack at a popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir on the 22nd of April. The massacre left 26 civilians dead, mainly Hindu Indian tourists, causing New Delhi to accuse Pakistan of backing the assault. Islamabad categorically denied these accusations.

In a bid to calm the situation, U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, spoke with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir on Friday. Rubio pressed both parties to establish mechanisms to de-escalate and encouraged U.S. involvement in brokering a peaceful dialogue.

However, just hours later, India launched missile strikes on Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, Murid air base in Chakwal city, and Rafiqui air base in Jhang district, according to Pakistan's military spokesperson. While there was no media access to the air base in densely populated Rawalpindi, residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir reported hearing loud explosions in various locations across the region.

Former top police official Shesh Paul Vaid, a Jammu resident, expressed concern, stating that the explosions resembled the early signs of an imminent war. Witnesses confirmed that explosions were heard from areas with military bases, leading many to believe that army sites were being targeted.

Experts in the geopolitical crisis arena pointed out that India and Pakistan might already be in a war even though no formal declaration has been made, as hostilities have been escalating for days, leading to casualties on both sides. Praveen Donthi, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group India, urged both countries to recognize the unending cycle of military tensions and cooperate to find a peaceful solution before further escalations endanger innocent civilians on either side.

Side Note:

Emerging signs of de-escalation have surfaced as both India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire from 5 p.m. IST (Indian Standard Time) following reported US-mediated talks involving multiple countries, with both sides' foreign secretaries confirming the arrangement. This potential path towards de-escalation is crucial, given the serious regional threat posed by this ongoing military escalation.

In the midst of war-and-conflicts, the capital cities of both India and Pakistan have become hotspots, with Rawalpindi in Pakistan and Indian-controlled Kashmir experiencing loud explosions.
The escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed adversaries, India and Pakistan, have led experts in general-news and crime-and-justice to express concerns over the unending cycle of military tensions.
Lt. Gen. Ahmad, Pakistan's military spokesperson, confirmed the use of Fateh missiles in retaliation, hitting an Indian missile storage facility and airbases, with Ahmad being a key figure in the politics of Pakistan.
The feud between the two nations dates back to the 22nd of April, when a guards' attack on a popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, most of whom were Hindu Indian tourists.
The incident of Indian missile strikes on Pakistani air bases has led Pakistan to summon its National Command Authority, a body overseeing the country's missile program and strategic assets, indicating a significant role these assets play in Pakistan's politics.
As the sports landscape takes a backseat, the focus shifts to the murid (students or followers) of both India and Pakistan, hoping and praying for peace, as they witness the escalating tensions and subsequent retaliation between the two nations.