Tensions between India and Pakistan have erupted again after at least 10 explosions near Srinagar International Airport. Both countries have launched drone and missile strikes in recent days, escalating the dangerous conflict.
Kashmir: The Flashpoint Heats Up
The disputed Kashmir region is once again caught in crossfire. India and Pakistan have exchanged artillery fire, airstrikes, and cross-border attacks. Indian sources report a wave of drone strikes targeting Jammu, Samba, and Pathankot, with drones believed to be of Turkish origin.
Sirens wailed and blackouts spread across Jammu and Kashmir as Indian forces scrambled to shoot down enemy drones. Locals near Srinagar airport reported “intense booms” while soldiers stayed on high alert.
Heavy Shelling Sparks Fear and Casualties
Indian Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the escalating violence:
“Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard… There’s a blackout in the city.”
Both sides have suffered casualties. Estimates put around 48 deaths since Wednesday, though these remain unconfirmed.
Operation Sindoor Furious Retaliation
The violence follows India’s “Operation Sindoor” — a brutal strike against alleged terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. This was in response to last month’s horrific terror attack on Hindu tourists.
Among nine targets hit was a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) base, where India claims it killed top commander Abdul Rauf Azhar, linked to the 2002 murder of journalist Daniel Pearl.
Pakistan Warns of Nuclear Escalation
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed revenge for India’s strikes. Meanwhile, the Defence Minister warned:
“If war escalates and the nuclear option is used, India will be to blame.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri hit back, calling Pakistan the “epicentre of global terrorism.”
Evacuations and Global Alarm
Schools and public buildings near the border have been evacuated. Tourist buses stand ready in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Sirens blared for over two hours in Amritsar, home to the sacred Golden Temple.
- US President Donald Trump offered to help defuse tensions.
- UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for “urgent dialogue.”
- China, Pakistan’s key arms supplier, urged “restraint” without directly condemning either side.
The world watches nervously as two nuclear-armed rivals edge ever closer to full-scale war.
