Context:

Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan following India's airstrikes on sites in Pakistan, which India claims were used to plan terrorist attacks against it. In response to these strikes, Pakistan has claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, labeling India's actions as an 'act of war'. The airstrikes targeted at least nine sites, hitting six locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 people, including women and children. The Indian military stated that their strikes were part of 'Operation Sindoor', aimed at terrorist camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, and emphasized that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. The heightened military actions have led to civilian casualties and damage, increasing the risk of further conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors, prompting Pakistan to call for international intervention to prevent a nuclear flashpoint.

Dive Deeper:

• India conducted airstrikes on at least nine sites in Pakistan, targeting what it claims are terrorist camps linked to groups planning attacks against India, specifically Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

• Pakistan retaliated by claiming to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, describing India's actions as an 'act of war', and asserting its right to respond robustly to the aggression.

• The airstrikes by India resulted in at least 26 deaths, including women and children, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab, escalating tensions between the two countries.

• India's military operation, dubbed 'Operation Sindoor', focused on non-escalatory actions, with a clear statement that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted during the strikes.

• The conflict has resulted in collateral damage, including the destruction of civilian property and the deaths of at least seven civilians due to Pakistani shelling in Indian-controlled territories.

• The incident follows an earlier attack in April in which 26 Indian Hindu tourists were killed in Kashmir, an attack India attributes to groups linked to Pakistan.

• In response to the heightened tensions, both countries have held high-level security meetings, with Pakistan urging international intervention to prevent the situation from escalating into a nuclear confrontation.