Following airstrikes launched by India, Pakistan has declared the action an “act of war,” with its military claiming to have shot down five Indian fighter jets in response.

India’s Defense Ministry stated that the strikes targeted at least nine sites “where attacks against India have been planned.” According to Pakistan’s military, the missiles struck six locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the eastern Punjab province, resulting in at least 26 fatalities, including women and children.

“Pakistan is fully entitled to respond strongly to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is being given,” stated Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations have heightened since an April attack in the India-controlled portion of Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 people, mainly Indian Hindu tourists. India alleges Pakistan was behind the attack, which was claimed by a militant group called Kashmir Resistance, which India claims is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a disbanded Pakistani militant group.

Indian military officials reported that their forces targeted “terrorist camps” that served as recruitment centers and weapon storage facilities for Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, another Islamist militant group.

Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, Pakistan’s military spokesperson, stated that the country’s air force downed five Indian jets in retaliation.

The Associated Press reported that three planes crashed in villages within India-controlled territory, accompanied by heavy exchanges of fire. Indian police and medics reported at least seven civilian deaths in the region.

Debris from one plane was scattered across Wuyan village on the outskirts of Srinagar, Kashmir’s main city, including in a school and a mosque compound, according to police and residents.

“There was a huge fire in the sky. Then we heard several blasts also,” Wuyan resident Mohammed Yousuf told the AP.

Another aircraft crashed in an open field in Bhardha Kalan village. Resident Sachin Kumar told the AP he heard massive blasts and saw a huge ball of fire.

“We found the two pilots at some distance in injured condition. They were Indian pilots and soldiers took them away,” he added.

India’s military stated that the Wednesday strikes were part of “Operation Sindoor.”

“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory,” India’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. “No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted.”

Pakistan’s National Security Committee convened Wednesday morning. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security and has postponed his upcoming official trip to Norway, Croatia and the Netherlands, which was scheduled to begin next week.

Digital’s Louis Casiano and  

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