India-Pakistan Conflict Escalates Over Kashmir Territory

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after India carried out strikes on Pakistan in retaliation for a terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians in Kashmir last month. Pakistan responded by shooting down Indian aircraft and engaging in heavy shelling along the border. The Indian government said it thwarted Pakistani attempts to launch drones and missiles at Indian military targets, while Pakistan claimed its forces shot down over two dozen Indian drones. Diplomatic efforts, including phone calls from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and meetings with Iranian and Saudi Arabian diplomats, aimed to de-escalate the conflict. The Kashmir attack occurred on April 22, when militants killed 26 Hindu tourists, and India has since launched a clampdown, arresting thousands. The conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir dates back to the 1947 partition of British India, with both countries claiming the territory.

India launched air strikes on nine sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, targeting militant positions, in response to a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian fighter jets and a drone, and reported 26 people killed and 46 injured. India said it struck major Pakistan-based militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen, with the deepest hit being a Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur, 100km inside Pakistan. Experts say the retaliation marks a new escalation, with a broader scope and more geographically expansive response than previous strikes. Pakistan is expected to retaliate, and diplomacy will be crucial to manage the next level of escalation and prevent a broader conflict. Experts believe that while there is a chance of de-escalation, the risk of further escalation remains high, making this the "most dangerous" India-Pakistan crisis since 2002.

Pakistan and India, two nuclear-armed neighbors, exchanged blame for a series of attacks in the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan's military accused India of a "serious provocation" after claiming to have shot down 12 of 13 Indian drones that targeted various locations, killing one civilian and wounding four soldiers. India responded by stating that its drone strike was a response to Pakistani forces firing drones and missiles at Indian military installations overnight, which killed 16 people. The clashes come after India's missile attack on Tuesday, which Pakistan labeled an "act of war" and killed at least 26 people. The US State Department issued an alert, ordering personnel at the consulate in Lahore to shelter in place due to reports of drone explosions. The crisis was sparked by a terrorist attack on Indian tourists last month, and the two nations have a long history of conflict over Kashmir.

India and Pakistan's militaries have been compared in terms of their strength and capabilities, particularly in light of recent clashes in the disputed Kashmir region. India has a significantly larger military, with 1,237,000 active personnel in its army, compared to Pakistan's 560,000. India's air force is also larger, with 149,900 personnel and 36 Rafale jets equipped with advanced missiles. Pakistan has around 70,000 air force personnel and over 200 surface-to-air missiles. In terms of nuclear capabilities, both countries have similar numbers of warheads, with India estimated to have 180 and Pakistan around 170. India's overall military capability is ranked fourth in the world, while Pakistan is ranked 12th, according to Global Firepower's index. Experts believe that while India would likely win a full-scale war, Pakistan might gain an advantage in a lower-level military confrontation.

India's high commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, has stated that India will respond "proportionally and in exactly the same light" if Pakistan retaliates following India's recent missile strikes on suspected militant sites in Pakistan and Kashmir. India carried out the strikes after 26 tourists were killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which it blamed on Pakistan-sponsored terror groups. Pakistan has denied involvement and vowed to retaliate, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying India will "pay the price" for its actions.

India claimed it destroyed an air-defence system in Pakistan's second-largest city, Lahore, amid speculation that the equipment was Chinese-made. The Indian government stated that Pakistan attempted to engage military targets in India using drones and missiles, but were neutralized by India's air defence systems. India retaliated by targeting air-defence radar and systems in Pakistan. Pakistan's foreign ministry denied launching attacks on India's military installations, calling the claim "baseless and irresponsible".