ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani military has brought down five Indian jets in retaliation for late-night strikes launched by its neighbouring country at six sites, including in Punjab’s Sialkot and Bahawalpur, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The military confrontation between Pakistan and India began a little after 1am on Wednesday with the Indian air strikes when the neighbouring country launched what it termed “Operation Sindoor”. Soon after reports emerged, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the strikes, saying that India had carried out the attacks from within its airspace. The military spokesperson provided an updated damage assessment of the scenario at around 4am, reporting the death of eight civilians.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the downing of two Indian jets around 2:45am after Pakistan launched its swift response, while the confirmation for the third plane, a Rafale aircraft, came an hour later. Confirmation of the fourth and fifth Indian jets being taken down came after 5am by Tarar and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
Providing further updates on the casualties, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the number of lives had risen to 26 civilians across six localities that India hit, with 46 injured.
White flag by India on LoC: Tarar
Talking to the media around 7am at the information ministry, Tarar asserted that India had waved a white flag at the Line of Control and “accepted defeat”. The minister said this as footage of a white flag played in the background.
“They have been forced to wave a white flag,” Tarar said. PTV News also shared footage of a white flag hoisted seemingly on top of a structure.
According to PTV News, the white flag was hoisted by the Indian army at the Chora Complex along the LoC.
Tarar further said that “several” posts of the Indian army across the border had been destroyed by the armed forces.
He recalled that Pakistan had called for a probe into the Pahalgam attack but India “conducted this attack and then fled from it”. “It is a cause of shame for them that they targeted innocent labourers and citizens,” he added.
According to the minister, Pakistan did not target any civilians in India in its retaliatory actions.
Security personnel cordon off a street as local residents evacuate their homes near the site of a strike in Muzaffarabad, AJK, May 7. — AFP
Key highlights:
India launches late-night strikes at sites of Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh and Muzaffarabad
Eight Pakistanis slain, 35 injured, mosques targeted
Five Indian jets downed in military retaliation
Indian brigade headquarters, Indian checkpost along LoC destroyed
Flights on ground put on hold while all inbound, outbound flights diverted to Karachi
National Security Committee meeting summoned at 10am
Trump terms India’s actions a “shame”; China and UN call for restraint
In an interview to Bloomberg TV, Defence Minister Asif said that Pakistan has shot down five Indian planes and multiple unmanned aerial vehicles, with checkposts destroyed along the Line of Control.
Similarly, appearing on Geo News at 5:09am, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also said that Pakistan had downed five Indian jets.
“[We shot jets down] in Akhnoor, Ambala, Barnala and in Jammu. We also shot down quadcopters and a big drone,” he stated. “It is an ongoing situation, we need to see what India does.”
The military, Reuters reported, said the five Indian fighter jets included three Rafale planes and one each of Russian planes, a Su-30 and MiG-29.
A spokesman for the military told Reuters Indian planes were only targeted after they attacked Pakistan.
There was no word from India on the downing of the jets, which would be the most serious loss for the Indian military in decades and risked further escalation.
The Rafale fighter is a new addition to India’s military, part of a plan to modernise its military, reduce dependence on Russian-origin equipment, and boost domestic weapons production to supply forces deployed along two contentious borders with Pakistan and China.
Before the clash, the Indian Air Force operated 36 Rafale fighters, while the navy’s aircraft fleet mainly comprises Russian MiG-29 jets.
India signed a deal with France’s Dassault Aviation on Monday to buy another 26 Rafale fighter aircraft worth 630 billion rupees ($7.4bn) for its navy in late April.
Tarar earlier said that Pakistan’s military response was ongoing but did not share operational details. “We shot down two Indian planes and we are responding to Indian aggression right now as we speak,” he told British broadcaster Sky News.
“Indian media, in a state of frenzy, is continuously running fabricated stories about losses of Pakistani Air Force and false claims of damaged aircraft,” PTV had said, stating, “No Pakistan Air Force aircraft has sustained any damage.”
The prime minister has summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee at 10am.
In the wake of the attack, Punjab has shut all educational institutions across the province today, and all exams scheduled for today have been postponed, according to a notification from the Punjab Higher Education Department.
“However, examinations scheduled by [or] on behalf of International Examining bodies shall not be affected by this postponement,” the notification said.
The strikes come as tensions have been escalating intensely between the two countries in the wake of a militant attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The April 22 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in one of the deadliest assaults since 2000. India, without investigation or evidence, implied “cross-border linkages” of the attackers. Pakistan has firmly rejected the claim and called for a neutral probe.
Last week, Pakistan reinforced its forces as it expected an incursion and India’s premier granted “operational freedom” to his military. The military had warned of a “swift” response to any misadventure by New Delhi, while diplomatic channels had remained engaged to prevent escalation.
ISPR damage assessment: 4am
In a short press briefing, DG Chaudhry provided the stats from the damage assessment: “A total of 24 impacts have been reported by India, with different weapons, in six localities. In these six localities, eight Pakistanis have been slain, 35 have been injured and two are missing, based on our damage assessment.”
“In [Bahwalpur’s] Ahmedpur East, Subhan mosque was targeted,” he added. “Here, there were four strikes and five innocent Pakistanis were slain, including a three-year-old girl. Thirty-one civilians have been injured, including 25 men and six women.”
He said one mosque was destroyed, while four quarters in which people were living were also destroyed.
“In Muzaffarabad, Bilal mosque was targeted. There were seven impacts, in which one girl has been injured and a mosque was destroyed,” the DG ISPR said.
“In Kotli, Abbat Mosque was targeted. There were five impacts and two people died, including a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy. A woman and her daughter are both injured,” DG Chaudhry added.
“In Muridke, Umalkura Mosque was targeted and there were four strikes. One man has been slain, while another is injured. Two people are missing,” he said. “A mosque has been destroyed and potters have sustained economic damages,” DG Chaudhry added.
“In Sialkot district, in the village of Kotki Lohara, there were two strikes,” he added. “One missile misfired, while one fell in an open field. There was no damage.”
“Near Shakargarh, there were two strikes with no damage. There was minor damage to a dispensary,” he added.
The DG ISPR said that the “unprovoked, cowardly attack” will be met with a befitting response. “We are giving it and will continue to give it,” he said.
A statement by state broadcaster PTV News, quoting security sources, said: “Pakistani forces are giving a befitting reply to Indian aggression. According to initial reports, the Pakistan Air Force has shot down two enemy aircraft. All Pakistani Air Force aircraft are safe. Pakistan armed forces are giving a befitting reply to the enemy’s aggression.”
PTV reported that Pakistan had also destroyed an Indian brigade headquarters in a retaliatory strike. It did not specify the location of the retaliatory strike.
A post from the broadcaster said that India is being given a “befitting response” at multiple locations.
PTV additionally reported that an Indian checkpost along the Line of Control in AJK’s Dudhnial sector was destroyed in a missile strike. It also shared footage of an Indian checkpost that the Pakistan Army destroyed along the LoC in AJK’s Kot Kotera sector.
Citing security sources, PTV News said that the armed forces also shot down an Indian drone in the Barnala district of India’s Punjab. It also posted footage of white smoke rising from a forest area, saying it was from a destroyed Indian jet.
“Pak forces are responding to the naked aggression of the enemy,” the broadcaster said, citing security sources.
Appearing on British broadcaster Sky News around 2:45am, Tarar said Pakistan’s response is ongoing, but did not share operational details.
When asked about the potential for escalation, Tarar said it “is an evolving situation”.
He reiterated that Pakistan was expecting an attack by India and said that “they would be the aggressor”.
“We offered an investigation into the whole Pahalgam episode, we wanted a fair and transparent investigation. But … India, without evidence, has targeted civilians, women and children. India had no right to do that,” he added.
“As the minister for information, I have occupied a seat of responsibility,” Tarar said. “I have taken an oath and I will give you verified information.”
When asked why India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack, Tarar replied: “This area (Pahalgam) is a good 200km from the LoC. The FIR was filed in 10 minutes, but police arrived after one and a half hours.”
Tarar accused India of “running away” from an investigation into the Pahalgam attack and accused India’s governing party of “wanting a reason to attack Pakistan”.
“We have a high morale and we will respond to Indian aggression,” he said.
“India has no evidence whatsoever to link Pakistan to this incident,” he stressed. “India has attacked civilians … without any justifiable cause and because we have the right to self-defence, we will defend our country, we will respond.”
Questioned about terrorists found hiding in Pakistan in the past, including Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden, Tarar rejected the allegations and reiterated that Pakistan was facing terrorist attacks “every second week”.
“If you’re talking about the history — the Soviet invasion, the cold war — then that’s a different story,” he said.
Tarar also maintained that the US had thanked Pakistan for its efforts in the war against terrorism and “for the good fight we are fighting”.
“India will now face Pakistan’s very fierce response, because we are never the aggressors,” he said.
Referring to Pahalgam, Tarar said India “is questioning its own government”.
“They have no evidence, they have no facts and they ran away from the investigation which Pakistan had offered,” the minister added. They attacked our civilians, they attacked our mosque today, they attacked five localities. Pakistan will now respond and will respond very, very effectively.
“Our desire for peace should not be mistaken for weakness,” he said.
When asked about India’s strikes, Tarar said that no terrorist infrastructure was hit.
“When I took foreign and local journalists to a village near the LoC … tomorrow morning, I was planning to take them to Bahawalpur and Muridke to show them where the strikes have occurred, to show that the local population is living there.
“We totally deny India’s allegations regarding terrorists,” Tarar maintained. “We have complete evidence that women and children have been targeted, there are civilian casualties in this and we will bring the evidence to foreign and local media. There are no terrorist camps.”
Questioned about the possibility of de-escalation, Tarar said that the situation is ongoing, adding, “let’s see how it turns out”.
Speaking to ARY News at 1:06am about the initial details of the attack, DG Chaudhry said: “All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India’s airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan.”
He noted: “Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered.”
“This temporary happiness that India has achieved with this cowardly attack will be replaced with enduring grief.”
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told ARY News that civilian areas were attacked.
“The attacks were carried out on civilian areas,” Asif said, adding that the “cowards” attacked from their own airspace. “They never left their house. Let them come out, we will respond fittingly.”
When asked about Pakistan’s decisions, Asif replied that Pakistan will retaliate.
“We will give a far greater response than their own strike,” the minister said. “Not only did they attack civilians but they did it from their own airspace.”
On Geo News, Asif clarified that the strikes were launched from within India’s airspace.
“Women and children have been martyred in civilian areas. India is claiming it was targeting terrorist camps,” he said. “There is no such thing, international media can visit the targets so that India’s lies are exposed. We are offering international media to come wherever attacks have happened.”
The defence minister further said: “They don’t have the courage to attack us in our airspace, and they are firing on women and children. Mosques have been destroyed.”
He vowed that “we will give a befitting response,” he said. “They will immediately receive their due.”
Multiple loud explosions were heard in Azad Jammu and Kashmir close to the mountains around the city of Muzaffarabad after midnight, multiple Reuters witnesses said.
After the explosions, the city’s power was blacked out, the witnesses said.
Confirming the development, the Indian government said: “A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor” and hit infrastructure in Pakistan and AJK from which it alleged “terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed”.
“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 said in the statement.
