Pakistani military says it killed dozens of Indian soldiers at border

Pakistani forces killed at least 40 soldiers and blew up military installations along the border dividing the disputed Kashmir, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said during a Thursday session of Pakistan’s parliament. Pakistan also shot down 25 drones from India, Tarar added. Pakistani forces shot down at least a dozen Israeli-made Harop drones sent by India, Pakistan military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry also said early Thursday morning.

Pakistan’s military action came after India launched missile strikes on multiple areas of Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The Indian government said the attack, known as Operation Sindoor, targeted terrorist infrastructure in retaliation for a terror attack in India-controlled Kashmir in late April. Pakistani leaders described the strikes as acts of war that targeted civilian areas. At least 26 were killed and dozens more were wounded, according to Pakistani leaders.

What has India said about the recent combat? India’s Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri released a statement on Thursday, insisting that India did not intend to escalate the situation. Operation Sindoor launched a targeted and precise response to Pakistani aggression, and only terrorist infrastructure was hit, as opposed to military installations, he said. Misri claimed that Pakistan has spread a number of falsehoods around the conflict, mostly through Pakistani officials insisting that the country contains no terrorists. Misri also pushed back on Pakistan’s claim that only civilians were killed during the attacks. Misri questioned why coffins were draped in Pakistani flags and state honors were performed if that was the case.

Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on Thursday and urged ministry heads to stay alert and be ready for any emergency response. The leaders discussed strengthening civil defence, countering misinformation, and ensuring the safety of critical infrastructure, according to a meeting report.

What’s the international response? Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Indian President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday and reiterated Iran’s solidarity with India. On the other side, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed solidarity to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a Thursday meeting. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani also offered support for Pakistan and vowed to help de-escalate the conflict during a Wednesday phone call with Sharif.

Leaders in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States previously called for both countries to de-escalate the conflict and find a resolution through mediation.

Dig deeper: Listen to Myrna Brown’s report on The World and Everything in It about the escalating military actions between the two countries.