India and Pakistan commerce assaults, as fears develop of wider battle : NPR

A man stands inside his house destroyed by Pakistani artillery shelling at the Salamabad village in Uri, about 110kms from Srinagar, on May 8, 2025. India's government said on May 8 that Pakistan launched an overnight air attack using "drones and missiles", before New Delhi retaliated to destroy an air defence system in Lahore. "Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets ... using drones and missiles," India's defence ministry said in a statement, adding that "these were neutralised" by air defence systems. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP) (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

A person stands inside his home destroyed by Pakistani artillery shelling within the village of Salamabad, India, Thursday.

Sajjad Hussain/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Sajjad Hussain/AFP through Getty Photographs

Pakistan’s military mentioned it shot down 25 navy drones that fanned over inhabitants facilities — together with the town that homes Pakistan’s common military headquarters.

By Thursday night, residents in Indian border cities reported listening to blasts. Authorities introduced blackouts alongside elements of the border, and the Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken to the Pakistani prime minister and the Indian foreign minister, urging “rapid de-escalation” by each international locations.

Members of media and local residents walk through the rubble of a building damaged by suspected Indian missile attack, in Muridke, a town in Pakistan's Punjab province, Wednesday, May 7.

This adopted India’s missile attacks across Pakistan within the early hours Wednesday, in what has been the most recent ratcheting of tensions between the 2 nuclear-armed international locations that started with gunmen killing Indian vacationers in late April.

“It is a severe, severe provocation,” Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary mentioned of the Indian drones in an English-language assertion. “It seems that India has apparently misplaced the plot. Slightly than occurring a path of rationality, it’s additional escalating in a extremely charged surroundings.”

Local residents and members of the media examine a building damaged by a suspected Indian missile attack near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, on Wednesday.

Amid the tensions, the U.S. Consulate General in Lahore, Pakistan, directed its employees to shelter in place. Operations had been suspended in Indian and Pakistani airports close to their border. College was out in border areas of both Pakistan and India.

Dad and mom on one Pakistani WhatsApp group exchanged emergency checklists that included child milk powder and coloring books to maintain youngsters busy. “Keep calm, keep ready. Could all of us stay secure,” the listing concluded.

The escalation started after the killing on April 22

The escalation started after India accused Pakistan of being behind an attack the place gunmen killed 26 individuals, principally vacationers, in India-administered Kashmir on April 22. It was the worst assault towards Indian civilians since 2002, and it sparked outrage throughout India after eyewitnesses reported the gunmen particularly focused Hindu males. Pakistan denies any connection to the assault. The Himalayan territory is split between India and Pakistan; each international locations declare it in its entirety.

Paramedics carry an injured tourist at a hospital in Anantnag, south of Srinagar, on April 22, following an attack. Gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir opened fire on a group of tourists in one of the worst attacks targeting civilians for years in the region.

Paramedics carry an injured vacationer at a hospital in Anantnag, south of Srinagar, on April 22, following an assault. Gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir opened fireplace on a gaggle of vacationers in one of many worst assaults concentrating on civilians for years within the area.

Tauseef Mustafa/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Tauseef Mustafa/AFP through Getty Photographs

Within the early hours on Wednesday, India struck what it referred to as “terrorist infrastructure” throughout Pakistan, in probably the most widespread strikes it had performed towards its neighbor for the reason that two sides went to battle in 1971. India described the strikes as retribution. Pakistan mentioned the strikes and subsequent shelling killed 31 people, together with kids. Pakistan’s navy mentioned it downed 5 Indian plane, which India didn’t touch upon.

People gather near aircraft debris lying in the grass.

India accused Pakistan of killing 16 civilians in cross-border fireplace.

“The potential for better escalation may be very excessive”

On Thursday morning, residents reported listening to the sound of blasts in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest metropolis, close to an previous airport.

Muhammad Abbas, a 47-year-old groundskeeper in an upscale Lahore suburb, was washing a automotive when he heard a bang. He mentioned “just a few individuals had been frightened,” however in any other case, individuals carried on. “Pakistani individuals are not cowards who cover of their homes. No matter occurs, will occur to all of us.”

The blasts gave the impression to be associated to one of many drones, which military spokesman Sharif mentioned had “managed to interact a navy goal close to Lahore.” He mentioned 4 military personnel had been injured in that incident.

India’s information ministry mentioned its armed forces “focused Air Defence Radars and techniques at quite a lot of areas in Pakistan,” and added “it has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised.”