India and Pakistan on brink as aerial onslaught sparks retaliation threats. CNN.
No(The Post News)– Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated as both countries exchanged accusations over drone strikes and missile launches.
The situation remains volatile, with both sides trading blame and neither showing signs of backing down.
India says it launched drone strikes targeting Pakistan’s military infrastructure in response to Pakistan’s alleged attacks. The situation is escalating, with both sides exchanging blame and engaging in military operations.
India’s Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, condemned Pakistan’s alleged targeting of temples and other places of worship as “a new low”. Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, denied the claims, calling them “baseless and misleading”, and stated that Pakistan hadn’t taken any offensive actions in Indian Kashmir or beyond its borders.
A Pakistani official hinted at a larger retaliatory attack, saying, “When we hit back, everyone will know.” India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called Pakistan’s denial of drone attacks “farcical”. The exchange is another escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, following India’s missile strikes that killed 31 people in response to a militant attack that killed 25 Hindu tourists.
Pakistan considered India’s attack an “act of war” and vowed to retaliate. The military spokesperson warned India would face consequences, saying, “They will get an answer in our timing.” Pakistan claimed to have deployed over 100 planes to defend against the Indian strikes, engaging in an hour-long dogfight and using Chinese-made weapons to bring down Indian jets. India hasn’t responded to the claims, but debris from several fighter jets, including a French Rafale, was seen in Indian-administered Kashmir and Punjab.
The drone attacks heavily affected Jammu, near the Line of Control, the disputed border between India and Pakistan.
Residents of Jammu described the recent drone attacks as unprecedented, with a barrage of fiery projectiles lighting up the night sky amidst air raid sirens and a citywide blackout.
Videos showed glowing orange dots flashing across the sky, likely drones intercepted by Indian air defense systems. Debris from the projectiles was found in several areas, including densely populated neighborhoods, but fortunately, no casualties were reported.
A 24-year-old student in Kanachak, near the Pakistan border, described the drone attacks as “extraordinary”. He witnessed fiery objects launching from the Pakistani side, with the barrage resembling fireworks lighting up the sky. The scene was terrifying, with flames streaking everywhere. He noted that while gunfire was common, the intensity of this attack was unlike anything he’d seen before.
The attacks continued in phases, restarting at 4am and keeping residents awake all night.
Violence persisted along the Line of Control, with soldiers on both sides exchanging fire and causing civilian casualties. With Pakistan’s threats of retaliation still hanging, Indian-administered Kashmir and northern India remained on high alert.
The conflict has sparked an information war, with both sides spreading disinformation.
India accused Pakistan of spreading exaggerated claims, while India’s own media was flooded with misinformation, including false reports of an attack on Karachi port and fake images of captured Pakistani pilots. Misinformation has been rampant on both sides, distorting the truth and fueling the conflict.
India ordered social media platform X to block over 8,000 accounts, including those of Pakistani politicians, celebrities, and media outlets, as well as some Indian independent news organizations and Kashmir journalists.
X confirmed the move, stating that the Indian government often didn’t provide legal justification for the blocks, but the platform had to comply to avoid penalties, fines, and potential imprisonment of its employees.
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