India-Pakistan live: Latest updates as India explains why it launched deadly airstrikes – while world leaders urge restraint

By DAN WOODLAND and BRITTANY CHAIN and IWAN STONE

Published: 23:02 BST, 6 May 2025 | Updated: 09:20 BST, 7 May 2025

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India has said deadly airstrikes have been launched in Pakistan to ‘deter’ more terror attacks on its own soil as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours exploded into full-blown conflict.

Nine areas in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, designated terror targets by India, were targeted with missiles in an overnight attack resulting in the deaths of at least 26 people, according to local officials.

Pakistan immediately vowed to retaliate against what it described as an ‘act of war’ claiming it shot down five Indian fighter jets, while shells have been fired along the along the Line of Control – the de facto border between the two countries.

Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri has said the strikes were carried out to prevent terror attacks in India following the atrocity in Indian Kashmir which saw 26 people, mostly tourists, killed last month.

World leaders including US President Donald Trump have called for restraint amid fears of further conflict escalating.

Live updates below 

India explains why it launched deadly air strikes on Pakistan

India has revealed why it launched a deadly series of air strikes overnight in Pakistan as conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours became full blown.

If you’re just joining us this morning, here’s what you need to know:

• India launched missile attacks on nine sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir overnight in what it called Operation Sindoor.
• Pakistan’s army said the airstrikes hit locations with at least 26 people killed including women and children with dozens more injured after residents were woken by bombing
• India’s foreign secretary said it carried out the attacks to ‘deter’ and ‘pre-empt’ further terror attacks on its soil following a massacre in Indian Kashmir last month in which 26 people were killed.
• Pakistan has vowed immediate retaliation and claims it has shot down five Indian fighter jets as the nation condemned what its prime minister Shehbaz Sharif described as an ‘cowardly’ and ‘unprovoked’ attack.
• The Indian army has said at least seven civilians have been killed by Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control – the de facto border between the two nations
• China, Russia and the United States have all called for restraint amid fears of further escalation
• Britons have been warned against travelling to parts of India and Pakistan as airlines cancel and reroute a number of flights in the wake of the conflict

Read our top story here for more details and follow our live coverage below.

WATCH: Why are India and Pakistan clashing?

India claims that they have attacked exclusively terror groups in Pakistan with precision strikes – and says NO civilians were killed

India claims that they have attacked exclusively terror groups in Pakistan with precision strikes.

Shaina Nana Chudasama, a former spokesperson for the ruling party in India, the BJP, claimed that ‘no civilians’ had been harmed by the strikes, despite reports of mass casualties, including women and children.

She told the Today programme: ‘I think Pakistan is in denial mode as always, whether it is the United Nations Security Council where it tried to picture as if it had nothing to do with the [Kashmir terror attack] which is factually incorrect.

‘The precision strike weapons systems was by three forces, the army, the navy and the airforce, including loitering munitions.

‘But the coordinates of this attack on the terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are provided by our intelligence clearly states it was carried out from Indian soil only.

‘Secondly of the Bahawalpur, which became the hub of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, after the release of Maulana Masood Azhar in exchange of the hijacked passengers way back in 1999.

‘This group has been involved in a series of terror attacks even after that, one being on our parliament, which was in 2001.

‘If you look at Muridke, which is 30km from Lahore, that had been the headquarters for the Lashkar-e-Toiba since 1990 and it is headed by Hafiz Saeed, who is responsible for the Mumbai dastardly attacks of 26/11 in 2008.’

She continued: ‘Pakistan has always insulated terror, terror outfits.This is Jaish-e-Mohammed that has taken the beatings, not civilians.

‘And lastly please understand that every target by India in Operation Sindoor is not just a befitting answer for the terror attacks but it is to finish off the terror activities which Pakistan has completely insulated.’

Shaina Nana Chudasama claimed that India had the backing of the world leaders – including Putin.

‘We have said that we have faith in the Indian government and no Pakistani civilians have been harmed, and we will continuously tell the Pakistan government and its leaders that what you are doing by insulating the Jaish-e-Mohammed or the Lashkar-e-Toiba is incorrect.

‘Today on behalf of India we are all grateful for Prime Minister Modi because the brave armed forces have given that reply which we would have wanted from every single Indian citizen, especially the fact that we continue to remain safe under his guard.’

Ten members of terrorist’s family killed

Ten members of a UN-designated terrorist’s family were killed by Indian air strikes on the Subhan Allah Mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

Four close associates of Maulana Masood Azhar also died in the attack, the BBC reports.

His elder sister, her husband, his nephew, his wife and five children from his family were among the dead, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the terrorist group he heads announced.

JeM killed 40 troops in Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019.

Analyst: ‘The escalation risks are real’

South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said it was one of the highest-intensity strikes from India on its rival in years and that Pakistan’s response would ‘surely pack a punch as well’.

‘These are two strong militaries that, even with nuclear weapons as a deterrent, are not afraid to deploy sizeable levels of conventional military force against each other,’ Mr Kugelman said.

‘The escalation risks are real. And they could well increase, and quickly.’

UK is ready to ‘support’ India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions

The UK is ready to ‘support’ India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions following an exchange of fire over Kashmir, a Cabinet minister has said.

Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said his Cabinet colleague David Lammy had ‘reached out’ to both nations in an effort to avoid further escalation, as had American and European figures.

Mr Reynolds told the BBC the situation in Kashmir was ‘hugely worrying’, adding: ‘Our message would be that we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries.

‘Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do.’

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and Labour MP Stella Creasy said they were ‘deeply’ concerned by the escalation in violence while former Tory minister Lord Ahmad warned the ‘potential for war tonight is real’.

Calls for jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to be released

Jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party have called for his release under the ‘given circumstances’.

The former cricket star was ousted from power in 2022 – and blames the army for trying to crush his party.

A statement from the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) party said: ‘We believe that peace is the desire of the people on both sides, but we will not compromise on our sovereignty and security.

‘However under given circumstances PTI demands release of illegally incarcerated former Prime Minister of Pakistan, the man who enjoys massive public support and, is a bonding factor, with unbreakable resolute to confront anyone eyeballing Pakistan’s sanctity.’

Brits have been warned against travelling to parts of India and Pakistan following an exchange of fire between the two countries amidst rising tensions.

Airlines have cancelled or rerouted a number of flights in the wake of India firing missiles across the border into Pakistani-controlled territory in at least six locations.

The strikes, which India claimed were targeting infrastructure used by militants, have reportedly killed eight people and injured 35 others, according to Pakistani security officials.

It comes amid soaring tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors over last month’s militant attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

The missiles struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country’s eastern Punjab province early Wednesday, according to three Pakistani security officials.

CNN reported three of the targeted locations – Kotli, Muzaffarabad and Bagh – are in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Updated travel advice from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) was issued for both countries shortly before 12.30am on Wednesday, May 7.

It advised against all travel within 10 kilometres of the India-Pakistan border, 10 miles of the Line of Control and the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Donald Trump called the burgeoning conflict between India and Pakistan a ‘shame’ as he learned of overnight exchanges between the two nuclear-armed states.

‘It’s a shame. We just heard about it,’ he told reporters late on Tuesday. ‘They’ve been fighting for a long time … I just hope it ends very quickly.’

India and Pakistan were teetering on the brink of war this morning after New Delhi hit what it called ‘terrorist camps’ overnight, prompting stark threats from Islamabad.

Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets as it condemned an ‘act of war’ from India, vowing to retaliate after missiles hit Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Both sides exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier into Wednesday. Pakistan reported 26 killed by Indian shelling, and India reported eight the other way.

The Indian army said ‘justice is served’, with New Delhi adding that its actions ‘have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature’.

But fears of a full-blown conflict between the two nuclear powers have escalated sharply in the last few hours.

Residents of Pakistan-administered Kashmir capital describe fleeing their homes as airstrikes rained down

Residents of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said they fled their homes and ran into surrounding hills as India launched airstrikes in a part of the city.

Mosque loudspeakers told people to seek shelter as the ground shook repeatedly and the sounds of explosions reverberated, they said.

‘We came outside,’ said Muhammad Shair Mir, 46, describing the events of the night. ‘Then another blast happened. The whole house moved. Everyone got scared, we all evacuated, took our kids and went up (the hill).’

Many people gathered after sunrise near a mosque that had been hit in the strikes, its roof smashed and minaret toppled. Security forces had cordoned off the area.

The district commissioner, a senior local official, said three people were killed near the collapsed mosque. In total, Pakistan’s military said 26 people were killed and 46 wounded in Indian attacks across Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir.

In Muzaffarbad, hospitals were operational and some small businesses opened in the morning but schools were closed and examinations cancelled, according to local authorities.

Shair Mir said he and his family spent four hours in the open. Some of his neighbours had gone to hospital with injuries and the rest were shaken, he said.

‘This is wrong … poor innocent people, our poor mothers are sick, our sisters are sick .. our houses were rattled, our walls have cracked,’ he said.

An army soldier stands guard on the rooftop of a mosque building damaged by a suspected Indian missile attack near Muzaffarabad

Pakistani Kashmiri mourners carry the coffin of a victim killed in Indian strikes during a funeral in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK accuses India of attacking civilians and saysthat retaliation ‘should’ happen

Dr. Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK has blasted foreign powers for not intervening sooner to cool tensions between India and Pakistan.

He accused India of attacking civilians and said that retaliation ‘should’ happen.

He told the Today Programme: ‘During the night there were multiple attacks on Pakistan and we have been alerting the world of this eventuality for the last 15 days or so.

‘I have been urging all the international community to intervene, to escalate the situation, to improve the relations. Sadly nothing much has happened.

‘Yesterday Indian attacks have led to 26 deaths of civilians, which includes women and children, young girls, and 46 injured.

‘There is a lot of anger in Pakistan. We have shot down some five planes, three Raphales and Su-30s and two or three drones.’

He confirmed that Pakistan was shelling India, adding: ‘If Pakistan is attacked, we will retaliate. So if from the other side there are bombs and shells falling on our side of course retaliation will be there.

‘Retaliation should also be there for the 26 deaths that have happened, all of civilians. And all during the day today their funerals will be carried out all over Pakistan.

‘This is a cause of grave concern for us and for two nuclear-armed powers.’

Speaking about damage to a dam by the Indian attacks, he continued: ‘This is a grave thing, you can’t attack water storage facilities.

‘If you want to attack, then military to military is the best way but you are attacking civilians. I don’t understand how India attacks civilians and tries to get away with it.’

WATCH: The aftermath of Indian airstrikes on Pakistan that killed 26

Death toll in Pakistan rises to 26 after strikes in six locations

The missiles hit six locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country’s eastern Punjab province, killing at least 26 people, including women and children, said Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif.

Sharif said the Indian jets also damaged infrastructure at a dam in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, calling it a violation of international norms.

Officials said another 38 people were injured by the strikes, and another five people were killed in Pakistan during exchanges of fire across the border later in the day.

One hit Subhan Mosque in Punjab’s Bahawalpur city, killing 13 people including a child, according to Zohaib Ahmed, a doctor at a nearby hospital. The mosque is near a seminary that was once the central office of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group outlawed in 2002. Officials say the group has had no operational presence at the site since the ban.

Another missile hit a mosque in Muridke, damaging its structure. A sprawling building located nearby served as the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba until 2013, when Pakistan banned the group and arrested its founder.

A damaged portion of Bilal Mosque is seen after it was hit by an Indian strike in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir

Rescuers search for survivors in a damaged building after it was hit by an Indian strike in Muridke near Lahore, Pakistan

Russia ‘calls for restraint’

Russia’s foreign ministry that it was deeply concerned about the deepening military confrontation between India and Pakistan, and that it called for both countries to show restraint.

Moscow is currently itself engaged in a devastating war in Ukraine, with more than 45,000 of its own soldiers killed last year.

Russia, which has warm relations with both India and Pakistan, said it condemned all forms of terrorism in a statement published on the foreign ministry’s website.

Pictured: India ‘reveals terrorist camps it has destroyed inside Pakistan’

Pictured: Scenes of destruction and horror in India and Pakistan as world holds its breath

Smoke billows after an artillery shell landed in the main town of Poonch district in India’s Jammu region

At least eight Indians were killed and 29 others wounded Wednesday in the town of Poonch in Kashmir, close to the de facto border with Pakistan, a local Indian government official said

fire fighter douses smoke coming out from the debris of an aircraft near Akhnoor on the outskirts of Jammu, India

Indian policemen and people look at a part of an unknown crushed aircraft in Wuyan near Indian-administered Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar

People move the body of a victim at the scene of India’s missile strike in Muridke, Punjab province, Pakistan

India breaks silence to give details of strikes

India have claimed they ‘destroyed terror camps’ in a briefing by military officials.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri blamed last month’s attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on ‘Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists’, the BBC reports.

He said it was carried out by The Resistance Front, which he claimed was a front for Pakistani Indian-proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.

He said Indian intelligence suggested further attacks were imminent. He said: ‘There was thus compulsion both to deter and to pre-empt [further attacks].’

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi from the army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh from the air force confirmed:

• India struck nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir over 25 minutes
• The targets were based on credible intelligence
• They had successfully destroyed the targets

Indian politicians heap praise on strikes

Indian politicians from different political parties lauded the strikes.

‘Victory to Mother India,’ India’s defense minister, Rajnath Singh, wrote on X.

India’s main opposition Congress party called for national unity and said it was ‘extremely proud’ of the country’s army.

‘We applaud their resolute resolve and courage,’ Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge said.

China weighs in on ‘regrettable’ conflict

‘China finds India’s military operation early this morning regrettable. We are concerned about the ongoing situation,’ a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

‘India and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbours. They’re both China’s neighbours as well.

‘China opposes all forms of terrorism. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation.’

Indian Home Minister: We will ‘eradicate terrorism from its roots’

India’s Home Minister has praised his country’s armed forces after last night’s attacks, saying he was ‘proud’.

Amit Shah claimed Operation Sindoor is the nation’s response to ‘the brutal killing of our innocent brothers in Pahalgam’.

He continued: ‘The Modi government is resolved to give a befitting response to any attack on India and its people.

‘Bharat remains firmly committed to eradicating terrorism from its roots.’

Death toll on Indian side of conflict reaches seven, authorities say

Indian police and medics said at least seven civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in the Pakistani firing and shelling at multiple places across the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir between the two countries.

Brits warned to avoid travel near India-Pakistan border

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has warned Brits against all travel within six miles of the India-Pakistan border, ten miles of the disputed Kashmir border and the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

A statement said: ‘On the night of 6 May (UK Time), the Indian Ministry of Defence stated it had struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

‘In response, there are reports of Pakistani artillery fire across the Line of Control.

‘On the night of 6 May (UK Time) Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority indicated that it was closing Pakistan airspace for at least 48 hours. There are reports of flights being diverted. British nationals should contact their airline for up-to-date information.

‘We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities.’

Shocking pictures show volunteers carrying a body from the rubble of a mosque

American Department of State urges both nations to avoid escalating conflict

The US Department of State has issued a new statement regarding the conflict, writing on X: ‘Earlier this afternoon, @SecRubio spoke to the national security advisors from India and Pakistan.

‘He urged both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation.’

Pakistan says missile strike killed 13 in Bahawalpur mosque

Pakistani officials have claimed an Indian missile strike on Bahawalpur mosque killed 13, including women and children.

Pakistani men burn pictures of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Extraordinary pictures show a group of Pakistani men together gathered around a burning portrait of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The group hold Pakistani flags as they cheer and gaze down on the flaming picture.

Behind the code name ‘Operation Sindoor’

The army said the operation was named “Sindoor,” a Hindi word for the bright red pigment worn by married Hindu women on their forehead.

It was a reference to the women who saw their husbands killed in front of them last month in an attack by Islamist militants on Hindu tourists in Kashmir, authorities say.

The attack last month left 26 people dead.

Pakistani officials claim to have shot down five high-powered Indian war planes

Pakistan claims it has shot down five planes, including at least Rafale fighter jets.

The reports are yet to be confirmed by Indian officials.

These jets are prized assets of the Indian air force and have been involved in combat in in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria.

FlightRadar’s ‘most tracked flight’ was the last remaining plane in Pakistani airspace

As airlines began announcing temporary suspensions and diversions of flights heading to Pakistan, FlightRadar revealed all eyes were on one lone flight still making the voyage across the airspace.

Ethiopian Airlines ETH672 was the only commercial plane flying over Pakistan on Tuesday night, en route to Seoul.

Two aircrafts have crashed in Indian-controlled territory

An unknown aircraft crashed into a school building in the outskirts of the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday.

Hours later, a second aircraft reportedly crashed in an open field in a village close to the Line of Control.

Residents said the aircraft crashed shortly after India launched missile strikes on Pakistan early Wednesday.

Sachin Kumar, a local villager, told the Associated Press that he heard massive blasts followed by a huge ball of fire that lit his village, Bhardha Kalan, near southern Akhnoor town.

Kumar said he and some villagers rushed to the scene and found two pilots in injured condition. Both were later taken away by the Indian army.

Three civilians killed in India during Pakistan’s retaliatory attack, authorities claim

The Pakistan Army reportedly responded to the attack with ‘arbitrary firing and artillery shelling’ across the Line of Control, authorities said.

The Indian Army claimed in a statement ‘three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing/shelling.’

Major airlines suspend and divert flights

Air India has canceled all flights two and from nine cities, including Kashmir, Jamnagar, Srinagar and Leh.

These routes will be suspended until at least midday Wednesday, pending further information and updates from officials.

Flights to and from destinations in northern India on SpiceJet and IndiGo are also affected.

Qatar Airways issued a statement confirming the suspension of all flights to Pakistan.

The statement read: ‘Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan due to Pakistani airspace closure.

‘The airline is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to prioritise the safety of its passengers and crew.’

Pakistani Prime Minister slams nation’s ‘cunning enemy’ over ‘cowardly attack’

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif followed up his earlier statements on Tuesday evening with a second condemnation of the ‘act of war’ against his nation.

‘The cunning enemy has carried out a cowardly attack on six places in Pakistan. Pakistan has every right to give a befitting reply to this act of war imposed by India and a befitting reply is being given,’ he said.

‘The Pakistani nation and the Pakistani Armed Forces know how to deal with the enemy very well. The enemy will never be allowed to succeed in his nefarious objectives.’

UK politicians urge restraint on both sides

UK politicians have urged restraint amid the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and Labour MP Stella Creasy (above) said they were ‘deeply’ concerned by the escalation in violence while former Tory minister Lord Ahmad warned the ‘potential for war tonight is real’.

Lord Ahmad, who served as South Asia minister under the previous Conservative administration, said the missile strikes were an ‘alarming escalation’.

‘The potential of a war tonight is real – we need urgent international engagement to prevent a widening of this conflict which carries serious implications not just for the region but for the wider world,’ he said.

MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana, who sits as an Independent following her suspension from Labour after she voted to back scrapping the two-child benefit cap, accused New Delhi of violating international law.

She said in a post on social media: ‘I condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam – but no conclusive evidence has been presented linking Pakistan.

‘India’s unprovoked strike on Pakistan is a violation of international law. With both being nuclear powers, this is reckless & a grave threat to regional peace.’

Watch: Pakistan officials vow to retaliate

‘Escalation risks are real’, says analyst

South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman told The Associated Press that the early morning missile strikes were some of the highest intensity from India in years and that Pakistan’s response would ‘surely pack a punch as well.’

‘These are two strong militaries that, even with nuclear weapons as a deterrent, are not afraid to deploy sizeable levels of conventional military force against each other,’ Kugelman said.

‘The escalation risks are real. And they could well increase, and quickly.’

In pictures: Indian security personnel stand guard in Srinagar

Six people killed in attacks on mosques, Pakistan military official says

Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistan’s military spokesperson, has claimed that four strikes were carried out at a mosque in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur district which killed five Pakistanis.

A mosque in Kotli was targeted in which two people died, while a mosque in Muzaffarabad was also attacked, he added.

Pakistani PM convenes urgent meeting

Pictured: Injured Pakistanis taken to hospital

Ambulances have been pictured arriving at a hospital in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, on Wednesday following an Indian missile attack in the country.

They are thought to be carrying people injured in the attack, with one image showing a man clutching his arm while being wheeled inside the hospital on a stretcher.

Woman killed in border skirmishes

Police say a woman was killed and a girl was wounded in Indian-controlled Kashmir when Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged mortar and gunfire at several places along the highly militarized frontier.

A local doctor says the woman was killed in the Mankote area of the Poonch district.

The doctor spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Modi ‘monitored operation through the night’

An Indian official says Prime Minister Narendra Modi (above) monitored the operation against Pakistan through the night.

The government official says there were nine targets that were hit ‘successfully.’

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to disclose details

Watch: Trump reacts to India strikes

India planned ‘mock drills’ in event of war

Indian information ministry officials had planned several civil defence ‘mock drills’ to take place on Wednesday, ahead of its attacks earlier this morning.

‘The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked several states to conduct mock drills for effective civil defence’, Kanchan Gupta, a senior advisor from the information ministry, said in a statement earlier this week.

Gupta said this would involve rehearsing an ‘evacuation plan’ and the ‘training of civilians, students, etc., on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack’.

Drills would also test air raid warning sirens, prepare for blackouts, and ready vital installations for camouflage.

Foreign Office warns against travelling to India

The Foreign Office said it advised against all travel within 10 kilometres of the India-Pakistan border, 10 miles of the Line of Control and the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

A statement said: ‘On the night of 6 May (UK Time), the Indian Ministry of Defence stated it had struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

‘In response, there are reports of Pakistani artillery fire across the Line of Control.

‘On the night of 6 May (UK Time) Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority indicated that it was closing Pakistan airspace for at least 48 hours. There are reports of flights being diverted. British nationals should contact their airline for up-to-date information.

‘We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities.’

US Secretary of State hoping for ‘peaceful resolution’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he is ‘monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely’.

He added in a post on X that he hopes the conflict ‘ends quickly’ and both countries can work towards a ‘peaceful resolution’.

Air India suspends flights to several airports

In pictures: Pakistani people protest over India missile strikes

Qatar Airways suspends flights to Pakistan

Watch: Missile strikes hit Pakistan

India spoke with US officials after attack

The Indian embassy in Washington DC has said its National Security Adviser Ajit Doval spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly after the strikes.

In a post on X, the embassy also claimed ‘no Pakistani civilian, economic or military targets have been hit’.

Pakistani officials earlier claimed this was not the case and civilians including women and children had been targeted.

US ‘closely monitoring developments’

The US is closely monitoring developments after India launched missile attacks on several locations in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled territory.

A State Department spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of the reports, however we have no assessment to offer at this time. This remains an evolving situation, and we are closely monitoring developments.’

India is an important U.S. partner for Washington at a time when it is aiming to counter China’s rising influence.

Pakistan remains Washington’s ally even as its importance diminished after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan.

In recent days, Washington urged the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors to work with each other to de-escalate tensions and arrive at a ‘responsible solution.’

Three jets shot down, Pakistan minister says

Earlier we reported that Pakistan had shot down two Indian jets and one drone.

Pakistan Information Minister Tarar Attaullah has now claimed the number of jets shots down has risen to three.

‘Eight people dead’ after strikes on Pakistan

A Pakistan military spokesperson has said eight people had been killed, 35 had been injured and two are missing.

They added that the strikes had made 24 impacts across six locations, using a number of different weapons.

Pakistani fighter jet ‘shot down’

A video posted to X supposedly shows a Pakistani fighter jet being shot down over the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

Footage shows a ball of light falling from the sky and hitting the ground.

Two children among the dead, Pakistan says

Ahmed Sharif, a spokesperson for the Pakistani military, has claimed seven people have died – including at least two children – following strikes launched from India.

He told the BBC the strikes had hit multiple locations and were a ‘flagrant violation of international law’.

Pakistan Deputy PM says India ‘targeted’ civilians

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister has claimed India ‘targeted’ members of the ‘civilian population’ in Wednesday’s missile strikes.

Ishaq Dar, who is also the country’s Foreign Minister, claimed the attacks had injured ‘civilians including women and children’.

Local heard ‘several explosions’ in Kashmir

In Muzaffarabad, the main city of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (pictured above), resident Abdul Sammad said he heard several explosions and that some people were wounded in the attack.

People were seen running in panic and authorities immediately cut the power, leading to a blackout.

Waqar Noor, the region’s interior minister, said authorities have declared an emergency in the region’s hospitals.

Pakistan has ‘the right to self-defence’, says minister

Pakistan Information Minister Tarar Attaullah has claimed the country has ‘the right to self-defence’.

He also told Sky News ‘India has no evidence to link Pakistan’ to the attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month.

Pictured: Pakistani locals evacuate their homes

Pakistan ‘shoots down two Indian jets’

The Pakistan Defence has claimed the country shot down two Indian planes and one drone in retaliation to the strikes, Rueters has reported.

Pakistan state media, PTV News, also reported two aircraft had been shot down, with one crashing in Bhatunda and another in Akhnoor.

Pictured: Fires erupt across Pakistan following missile strikes

Indian TV channels supposedly showed video of explosions, fire, large plumes of smoke in the night sky and people fleeing in several places in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir.

Witnesses and one police officer at two sites on the frontier in Indian Kashmir said they heard loud explosions and intense artillery shelling as well as jets in the air.

India missile strikes ‘hit two mosques’

A Pakistani military spokesman told broadcaster Geo that sites struck by India included two mosques.

They added there had been at least three deaths and 12 people injured.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Geo that all sites targeted by India were civilian and not militant camps.

He said India fired missiles from its own airspace and India’s claim of targeting ‘camps of terrorists is false’.

What is the history between India and Pakistan?

India’s latest action adds to a long list of military conflicts between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Here is a look at some of the key clashes:

1947: FIRST WAR OVER KASHMIR

Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan were born in August 1947 after the British ceded colonial control of the subcontinent, and months later the two new countries were at war for control over the scenic Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

India claimed Kashmir as its then Hindu ruler acceded to Delhi, while Pakistan cited popular support from the region’s Muslim majority as a basis for its claim.

Fighting raged for months, until the United Nations intervened to establish a ceasefire line in 1949, leaving both countries with control of a part of the territory. Both still claim the entire region.

1965: SECOND WAR OVER KASHMIR

Still seeking control over Kashmir, Pakistani forces crossed into India’s portion of the disputed region, in response to which India launched a military incursion across the boundary.

The fighting spread outside Kashmir into many settled boundary areas, seeing pitched battles involving both ground and air forces, and some of the biggest tank battles in history.

1971: WAR OVER EAST PAKISTAN

The neighbours fought their third war over Pakistan’s eastern wing, where regional groups were seeking independence from the federal government.

Thousands of people died in the conflict, which ended in India helping the region secede, creating the independent country Bangladesh.

The countries faced off in the high-altitude region of Kargil after Pakistani troops infiltrated Indian-administered Kashmir. It was the first clash since both officially gained nuclear weapons capability, raising the risks of a catastrophic war.

Both sides suffered hundreds of casualties before Indian forces reclaimed the territory, and international intervention stopped the fighting.

India said it conducted “surgical strikes” on alleged Islamist militant launchpads in Pakistani territory after gunmen stormed an Indian military base in Kashmir’s Uri region.

Islamabad said there had been no Indian incursion into its territory and there was no retaliation by Pakistani forces.

India conducted air strikes on what it said was a militant training camp near the Pakistani town of Balakot in response to a suicide car bombing in Kashmir’s Pulwama area.

Pakistan, which said the planes had bombed an empty hillside and not a camp, launched a retaliatory incursion into Indian airspace that led to a dogfight between the two air forces, leading to the capture of an Indian pilot.

The situation cooled after he was released days later.

Pakistan’s PM says strikes are an ‘act of war’

Pakistan’s Prime Minister has written on X in the wake of the Inidian attacks, claiming they are an ‘act of war’.

UN Secretary-General ‘very concerned’

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is ‘very concerned’ about Indian military operations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

‘The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border. He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries,’ the spokesperson said.

‘The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.’

Indian Army says ‘justice’ has been ‘served’

The Indian Army’s official account on X has just posted the following after attacking several sites in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled territory.

In pictures: Damage from suspected Indian attack near Muzaffarabad

Trump – Indian strikes are ‘a shame’

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday afternoon that the recent Indian strikes against targets in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir were a ‘shame’.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had just heard about the intensification of hostilities that had occurred in recent hours.

India claims attacks hit ‘terrorist infrastructure’

Indian said in a statement the attacks were launched strikes on ‘terrorist infrastructure’ and were’ intended to be ‘non-escalatory in nature’.

‘A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched “OPERATION SINDOOR”, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed,’ the statement said.

‘Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,’ it added.

India attacks nine sites in Pakistani-territory

India said it attacked nine sites in Pakistani-territory on Wednesday where strikes against it had been planned.

Pakistan’s military spokesperson claimed the strikes killed eight people and injured 35 others.

The offensive occurred amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours in the aftermath of an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month.

Pakistan said India launched missiles across three locations – Muzaffarabad and Kotli, both in Kashmir, as well as Bahawalpur in Pakistan.

Key Updates

• India claims that they have attacked exclusively terror groups in Pakistan with precision strikes – and says NO civilians were killed

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• Moment Trump learned about India and Pakistan clashes and air strikes and called it a ‘shame’

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• India explains why it launched deadly air strikes on Pakistan

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• Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK accuses India of attacking civilians and saysthat retaliation ‘should’ happen

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• Death toll in Pakistan rises to 26 after strikes in six locations

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• Pictured: India ‘reveals terrorist camps it has destroyed inside Pakistan’

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• Woman killed in border skirmishes

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• Foreign Office warns against travelling to India

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• ‘Eight people dead’ after strikes on Pakistan

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• Pakistan Deputy PM says India ‘targeted’ civilians

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• India attacks nine sites in Pakistani-territory

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India-Pakistan live: Latest updates as India explains why it launched deadly airstrikes – while world leaders urge restraint

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