[🇵🇰] Everything about latest Kashmir attack

[Saif]

Kremlin calls for de-escalation in India-Pakistan tensions

The Kremlin on Monday called for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours flare following last month's deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-administered side of the contested Kashmir region.

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Kremlin calls for de-escalation in India-Pakistan tensions
AFP Moscow
Published: 05 May 2025, 18: 02

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a joint news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Russia on 18 February, 2022. File photo

The Kremlin on Monday called for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours flare following last month's deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-administered side of the contested Kashmir region.

New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for the 22 April attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, sparking a series of heated threats and diplomatic tit-for-tat measures.

"We hope that the parties will be able to take measures (...) that will reduce tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that "we are following with great concern the tense atmosphere that has developed on the border."

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a phone call on Monday that the "particularly privileged partnership" between Moscow and Delhi was "not subject to external influence and continues to develop dynamically in all areas", the Kremlin said in a statement.

Moscow last week said it was ready to mediate after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held calls with both sides last week.

The Pakistan military said on Monday it had conducted a second missile test since the stand-off began.

Russia has historically had close ties to India, dating back to the Soviet Union, and is the country's biggest weapons supplier.

"India is our strategic partner. Pakistan is also our partner. We value our relations with both Delhi and Islamabad," Peskov said.​

 

[Saif]

Death toll from India strikes rises to 31: Pakistan military

Pakistan's military has shared an updated death toll following India's overnight strikes. A spokesperson for the army says 31 people have been killed and 57 injured, reports the BBC. The previous total was 26 people killed and 46 injured.

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Death toll from India strikes rises to 31: Pakistan military
FE Online Desk
Published :
May 07, 2025 23:56
Updated :
May 07, 2025 23:56

Pakistan's military has shared an updated death toll following India's overnight strikes.

A spokesperson for the army says 31 people have been killed and 57 injured, reports the BBC.

The previous total was 26 people killed and 46 injured.​

 

[Saif]

Tarique urges restraint amid India-Pakistan tensions

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has condemned the military attacks amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, urging all parties to exercise restraint and prioritise a peaceful resolution to the conflict. In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, Tarique Rahman s

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Tarique urges restraint amid India-Pakistan tensions
Published :
May 07, 2025 20:17
Updated :
May 07, 2025 20:17

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has condemned the military attacks amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, urging all parties to exercise restraint and prioritise a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, Tarique Rahman said, “As there is an escalation of tensions in the neighbourhood, we condemn military attacks and extend condolences to the victim families.”

“We urge stakeholders to show restraint and take steps for peaceful solution to the conflict,” he said, UNB reports.

The BNP leader said a stable and peaceful region, built upon shared interests and aspirations, serves the best interests of all.

The renewed tension between India and Pakistan has raised concerns across South Asia, with regional and international actors closely monitoring the situation.​

 

[Saif]

Pakistan PM says India ‘will have to suffer the consequences’

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his address to the nation, said India “will have to suffer the consequences” of its air strikes last night, reports the DAWN. “Maybe they were thinking we would step back, but they forgot this is a nation of the brave.&rdqu

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Pakistan PM says India ‘will have to suffer the consequences’
FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
May 07, 2025 23:06
Updated :
May 07, 2025 23:06

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his address to the nation, said India “will have to suffer the consequences” of its air strikes last night, reports the DAWN.

“Maybe they were thinking we would step back, but they forgot this is a nation of the brave.”

He said it “took only a few hours” for the Pakistani military to bring its enemy to its knees in retaliation against India for its air strikes.

“With the grace of God, our jets created such a storm in the sky that the enemy screamed. Five war jets which were the pride of India have now just ash and rubble.”

The Pakistan Air Force’s jets dealt such damage to the Indian forces that they left wounds “which even time will not be able to heal,” the PM added.​

 

[Saif]

Dozens killed as India, Pakistan clash in worst violence in decades

At least 38 deaths were reported, with Islamabad saying 26 civilians were killed by the Indian strikes and firing along the border

en.prothomalo.com

Dozens killed as India, Pakistan clash in worst violence in decades
AFP Muzaffarabad, Pakistan
Published: 07 May 2025, 22: 52

Journalists film missile fragments at the compound of an Islamic seminary after Indian strikes in Ahmedpur Sharqia, about 7 kilometers from Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province, on May 7, 2025.

India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery fire along their contested frontier on Wednesday after New Delhi launched deadly missile strikes on its arch-rival, in the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades.

At least 38 deaths were reported, with Islamabad saying 26 civilians were killed by the Indian strikes and firing along the border, and New Delhi adding at least 12 dead from Pakistani shelling.

The fighting came two weeks after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir, which Pakistan denied.

The South Asian neighbours have fought multiple wars over the divided territory since they were carved out of the sub-continent at the end of British rule in 1947.

The Indian army said "justice is served", reporting nine "terrorist camps" had been destroyed, with New Delhi adding that its actions "have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of launching the strikes to "shore up" his domestic popularity, adding that Islamabad "won't take long to settle the score".

Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said five Indian jets had been downed across the border overnight.

An Indian senior security source, who asked not to be named, said three of its fighter jets had crashed on home territory.

Children among the dead
The largest Indian strike was on an Islamic seminary near the Punjabi city of Bahawalpur, killing 13 people according to the Pakistan military.

A government health and education complex in Muridke, 30 kilometres from Lahore, was blown apart, along with a mosque in Muzaffarabad -- the main city of Pakistan-administered Kashmir -- killing its caretaker.

Four children were among those killed in Wednesday's attacks, according to the Pakistan military.

Pakistan also said a hydropower plant in Kashmir was targeted by India, damaging a dam structure, after India threatened to stop the flow of water on its side of the border.

Pakistan had earlier warned that tampering with the rivers that flow into its territory would be an "act of war".

India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the overnight operation was New Delhi's "right to respond" following the attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir last month.

Pakistan had denied any involvement in the Pahalgam assault and called for an independent probe.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif labelled India's strikes a "heinous act of aggression" that would "not go unpunished" and his National Security Committee called on the international community to hold India "accountable".

'Terrible sounds in the night'
In Muzaffarabad, United Nations military observers arrived to inspect a mosque that Islamabad said was struck by India.

"There were terrible sounds during the night, there was panic among everyone," said Muhammad Salman, who lives close to the mosque.

"We are moving to a safer place... we are homeless now," added 24-year-old Tariq Mir who was hit in the leg by shrapnel.

National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets shout slogans after conducting an emergency simulation drill as part of the nationwide civil defence mock drills in Amritsar on May 7, 2025 as border tensions surge AFP

Residents collected damaged copies of the Koran from among concrete, wood, and iron debris scattered across the grounds.

In Indian-held Kashmir, residents fled in panic from the Pakistan shelling.

"There was firing from Pakistan, which damaged the houses and injured many," said Wasim Ahmed, 29, from Salamabad village.

"They were taken to hospitals in Uri and Baramulla towns. There has been extensive damage here, everything is destroyed, and people are fleeing the area."

'Maximum restraint'

India had been widely expected to respond militarily to the Pahalgam attack on April 22 that killed 26 people, mainly Hindu men, which it blamed on Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist organisation.

The two nations have traded days of threats and tit-for-tat diplomatic measures, while Pakistan has conducted two missile tests.

The Indian army has reported nightly gunfire along the heaviliy militarised Line of Control that separates the region since 24 April.

"Escalation between India and Pakistan has already reached a larger scale than during the last major crisis in 2019, with potentially dire consequences", International Crisis Group analyst Praveen Donthi said.

Diplomats have piled pressure on leaders to step back.

"The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan," the spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington he hoped that the fighting "ends very quickly".

Concern poured in, including from China -- a mutual neighbour of both nations -- as well as from the EU, Britain, France, Russia, Germany and Turkey, while airlines have cancelled, diverted or rerouted flights.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected in New Delhi on Wednesday, two days after a visit to Islamabad, as Tehran seeks to mediate.

Rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan.

India regularly blames its neighbour for backing armed groups fighting its forces in Kashmir, a charge that Islamabad denies.​

 

[Saif]

Nations urge restraint in India-Pakistan clash

Deadly clashes between India and Pakistan sparked alarm and calls for restraint from around the world on Wednesday

en.prothomalo.com

Nations urge restraint in India-Pakistan clash
AFP
Published: 07 May 2025, 20: 01

Locals stand on the debris of destroyed structures at the Government Health and Educational complex in Muridke about 30 kilometres from Lahore, on May 7, 2025, after Indian strikes. The death toll from Indian strikes on Pakistan has increased to eight, the country's military spokesman said on May 7, as India fired missiles at Pakistani territory and Islamabad vowed to "settle the score" AFP

Deadly clashes between India and Pakistan sparked alarm and calls for restraint from around the world on Wednesday.

The violence was the worst to erupt between the nuclear-armed neighbours and arch-foes in two decades.

Here is a roundup of key reactions:

'Prioritise peace': China

"We call on both India and Pakistan to prioritise peace and stability, remain calm and restrained and avoid taking actions that further complicate the situation," China's foreign ministry said.

'Hope it ends very quickly': Trump

"It's a shame, we just heard about it," said US President Donald Trump.
"I just hope it ends very quickly," he later added.

'Defuse situation':US

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "is encouraging India and Pakistan to re-open a channel between their leadership to defuse the situation and prevent further escalation," said US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes, after Rubio spoke with his counterparts from India and Pakistan.

'Maximum military restraint': UN

"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," said the spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres.

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

'Show restraint': EU

"We do urge both sides to show restraint and take immediate steps towards de-escalation," said foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni.

"The EU recalls the need for a negotiated, agreed and lasting, peaceful solution to the conflict."

'Exercise restraint': France

"We understand India's desire to protect itself against the scourge of terrorism, but we obviously call on both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint to avoid escalation and, of course, to protect civilians," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, told TF1 television.

The fighting comes two weeks after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing an attack on the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir.

'Deeply worried': Germany's Merz

"We are deeply worried by last night's clashes between these two nuclear powers," Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Now more than ever ... reason and clear-headedness are required."

'Serious concern': UK's Starmer

"Rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament. His country is home to many citizens of Indian and Pakistani descent.

"We are engaging urgently with both countries, as well as other international partners, encouraging dialogue, de-escalation and the protection of civilians."

'Prevent further deterioration': Russia

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned by the escalation of military confrontation" and called "on the parties to exercise restraint to prevent further deterioration".

It hoped tensions could be "resolved through peaceful, diplomatic means".

Risk of 'all-out war': Turkey

"The attack carried out last night by India runs the risk of an all-out war," said a Turkish foreign ministry statement after India's deadly missile strikes.

"We condemn this provocative initiative as well as the attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure."

'Dialogue and diplomacy': Afghanistan

The Taliban government in Afghanistan said further escalation was not "in the interest of the region" following the latest clashes.

A foreign ministry statement said Kabul "urges both sides to exercise restraint and resolve their issues through dialogue and diplomacy".​

 

[Saif]

India dominates in overall strength, Pakistan leads in nuclear arsenal

India and Pakistan have been arch rivals and fought several wars since their partition in 1947.

en.prothomalo.com

India dominates in overall strength, Pakistan leads in nuclear arsenal
Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 07 May 2025, 18: 20

India and Pakistan flags File Photo

India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier on Wednesday after New Delhi launched deadly missile strikes on its arch-rival, in the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in two decades.

At least 36 deaths were reported. Islamabad said 26 civilians were killed by the Indian strikes and firing along the border, while New Delhi said at least eight died from Pakistani shelling, according to AFP.

However, the terrorist attack in Kashmir on 22 April that killed 26 people was the beginning of the renewed hostilities between India and Pakistan, who have been arch rivals and have fought several wars since their partition in 1947, but they have been maintaining military power for long considering the geopolitical perspectives.

As many people feared both would eventually test their militarily might amid escalating tension, thus, the military capabilities of both countries have come to limelight. Recently, Malaysia-based website Defence Security Asia published an analysis on the military capabilities of both countries, citing Global Firepower Index 2025.

Overall military ranking and power index

India with a Power Index (PwrIndx) score of 0.1184 and Pakistan with a score of 0.251 ranked 4th and 12th respectively in the Global Firepower Index (GFP) 2025, which evaluates 145 nations based on over 60 factors including manpower, equipment, finances, geography, etc.

Lower PwrIndx scores indicate stronger militaries. India’s higher ranking reflects its larger population, bigger defense budget, and more extensive military assets. On the other hand, Pakistan, while formidable, faces constraints due to a smaller economy and reliance on foreign suppliers, particularly China, according to Defence Security Asia.

Manpower

Manpower is a critical factor in conventional warfare, especially for India and Pakistan, given their large populations and reliance on ground forces.

India has 1.4 billion populations (second largest in the world), 662 million available manpower, 1.46 million active personnel (second globally), 1.16 million reserve personnel (seventh globally), 2.53 million paramilitary forces (second globally) and 5.1 million total military strength including active, reserve, and paramilitary.

Pakistan has 252 million population (fifth in the world globally), 108 million available manpower, 654,000 active personnel: (7th globally), 650,000 reserve personnel. The country’s paramilitary forces are not explicitly quantified in GFP but it has significant, including Rangers and Frontier Corps. Its total military strength including active, reserve, and paramilitary is 1.7 million.

India has over twice the active personnel and significantly larger reserve and paramilitary forces than Pakistan has, but Pakistan has a high proportion of its population dedicated to military service and leverages irregular forces like ‘Mujahids coordinated by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Defense budget

India increased defense budget by 9.5 per cent to USD 79 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal, which is 2.1 per cent of the GDP. India becomes the third largest military spenders after the US and China.

Pakistan spends USD 10-12 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal, which is 3.6 per cent of the GDP. The country is not in the top tier because of economic challenges, but received USD $100 million in 2018 in foreign military assistance, primarily from the US and China.

India’s defense budget is approximately 6-8 times larger than Pakistan’s, enabling greater investment in advanced technology, infrastructure, and force modernisation while Pakistan faces budget constrains on maintaining a large standing army and nuclear arsenal, but Chinese support bolsters its capabilities.

Land Forces

Ground forces are central to India-Pakistan conflicts. Both countries share 3,323 km border and have a history of engaging in conventional wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999.

India has 4,614 tanks (6th globally), 151,248 armoured vehicles and 9,719 artillery pieces. Its special forces include Para SF, Ghatak Force and MARCOS.

Pakistan has 3,742 tanks, about 50,000 armoured vehicles and 4,472 artillery pieces including 375 self-propelled howitzers. Its special forces include Special Services Group (SSG), SSG Navy, Special Service Wing, respected but smaller in scale.

India certainly has a numerical advantage in tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery while Pakistan maintains a competitive tank fleet, with Chinese VT-4 tanks offering modern capabilities, and also possesses infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) with diverse platforms like the M113 and Al-Fahd.

Air Forces

Air superiority is critical in modern warfare, predominantly for rapid response and precision strikes.

India has a total of 2,229 aircraft, including 513-606 fighter jets. Its air force has fighter jets include Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas Mk1 (indigenous), MiG-29, Mirage 2000, as well as Apache AH-64E and Chinook helicopters. Its support aircraft operates 4 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems and Ilyushin Il-78 tankers. India’s air defense has S-400 systems (deliveries began 2020), enhancing long-range defense.

Pakistan has 1,399-1,434 aircraft, including 328-387 fighter jets, which include F-16 Fighting Falcon, JF-17 Thunder (Chinese) and Mirage III/V. The country has more attack helicopters than India, including AH-1F Cobras. Support aircraft consists of 7 AEW&C systems, outperforming India in ISR capabilities. Pakistan is upgrading F-16s with Turkish Roketsan missiles and trialling CZ Bren, FN-SCAR. Its air defense HQ-9 (Chinese) is less advanced than India’s S-400.

India’s air force is larger and more diverse while Pakistan has a smaller air force, but it is modernising, Pakistan has advantage in AEW&C systems bolsters situational awareness, but it lags in advanced air defence and overall fleet size.

Naval Forces

Naval capabilities are vital for India’s maritime interests in the Indian Ocean and Pakistan’s Arabian Sea operations.

India has 67,700 navy personnel, 294 vessels, 2 aircraft carriers (INS Vikramaditya, INS Vikrant), 18 submarines, including nuclear-powered INS Arihant, 13 destroyers, 14 frigates, 106 patrol vessels and 75 combat-capable aircraft, including MiG-29K.

Pakistan has 23,800 navy personnel, 121 vessels, 8 submarines (Agosta-class, Chinese Yuan-class), 9 frigates, 17 patrol vessels: 17 and 8 combat-capable aircraft.

India’s navy is significantly larger and more capable, with aircraft carriers enabling power projection across the Indian Ocean. Pakistan’s smaller navy focuses on coastal defense and regional operations, with submarines posing a threat to Indian shipping lanes. The absence of carriers and limited naval aviation restricts Pakistan’s maritime reach.

Nuclear capabilities

Both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed, shaping their deterrence strategies.

India has 130-140 warheads. Its delivery systems include Agni-III/V ballistic missiles (3,000-5,000 km range), Mirage 2000, Rafale for air delivery, INS Arihant for sea-based deterrence. India maintains No First Use (NFU) doctrine, with massive retaliation against nuclear attack.

Pakistan has 140-150 warheads, slightly more than India. Its delivery systems consist of Shaheen-II/III ballistic missiles, F-16s, Babur cruise missiles, naval platforms under development. The country follows a full-spectrum deterrence doctrine, including tactical nuclear weapons to counter India’s conventional superiority.

Strategic and operational considerations

India maintains strong ties with Russia, France, Israel, and the US to enhance technology access and the country’s participation in exercises like RIMPAC improves interoperability while Pakistan has deep ties with China and limited US support (MNNA status) to bolster capabilities.

India focuses on conventional superiority and deterrence against both Pakistan and China. The “Cold Start” doctrine envisions rapid, limited incursions to punish Pakistan without triggering nuclear escalation. Pakistan emphasises asymmetric warfare and nuclear deterrence to counter India’s conventional edge.

India’s bureaucratic interference, slow acquisitions, and counterinsurgency focus have diluted conventional war readiness, while, for Pakistan, economic constraints limit fuel and equipment maintenance.

India’s broader strategic focus (China and Pakistan) stretches its resources but drives modernisation while Pakistan’s narrower focus on India allows efficient resource allocation, but economic woes and border clashes with regional tension Afghanistan weaken its posture.​

 

[Saif]

Pakistan PM Shehbaz vows 'every drop of blood' spilt to be avenged

PM Shehbaz has vowed that “every drop of blood” spilt by those slain in last night’s air strikes by India would be avenged

www.thedailystar.net

Pakistan PM Shehbaz vows 'every drop of blood' spilt to be avenged

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. File Photo/Reuters

PM Shehbaz has vowed that "every drop of blood" spilt by those slain in last night's air strikes by India would be avenged.

"This is the cowardly enemy that attacks unarmed civilians and thinks itself stronger. But we proved last night that Pakistan knows how to deliver a befitting response in its defence. The nation pays tribute to the bravery and strength of the armed forces."​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Death toll from India strikes rises to 31: Pakistan military

Pakistan's military has shared an updated death toll following India's overnight strikes. A spokesperson for the army says 31 people have been killed and 57 injured, reports the BBC. The previous total was 26 people killed and 46 injured.

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Death toll from India strikes rises to 31: Pakistan military
FE Online Desk
Published :
May 07, 2025 23:56
Updated :
May 07, 2025 23:56

View attachment 17104

Pakistan's military has shared an updated death toll following India's overnight strikes.

A spokesperson for the army says 31 people have been killed and 57 injured, reports the BBC.

The previous total was 26 people killed and 46 injured.​

26 figure was given to match India's death figure. Infact, Pakistan is moving dead bodies with JCB. 14 members from alone Masood Azahar's family have died.

 

[Saif]

26 figure was given to match India's death figure. Infact, Pakistan is moving dead bodies with JCB. 14 members from alone Masood Azahar's family have died.

Who is Masood Azahar?