India done gone and fired missiles at three air bases inside Pakistan, but most of those bad boys got intercepted, according to Pakistan’s army spokesman on Saturday. This whole shebang is the latest escalation in a conflict that started when India pointed fingers at Pakistan for a gun massacre last month.
The state-run Pakistan Television wasted no time and said they were retaliating by attacking “multiple locations in India.” The country’s military chimed in, saying they were aiming at an Indian missile storage facility and airbases in Pathankot and Udhampur. A paramilitary soldier was seen standing guard near Karachi port, feeling the tension rise between Pakistan and India.
The Pakistani army spokesman, Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif, went on TV and reassured everyone that their air force assets were safe after the Indian strikes. But he also mentioned that some of those Indian missiles ended up smacking India’s eastern Punjab. Sharif didn’t hold back, calling this a “provocation of the highest order.”
The beef between these two nuclear-armed neighbors started heating up after an attack in India-controlled Kashmir left 26 civilians dead, most of them Hindu Indian tourists, on April 22. India is pointing fingers at Pakistan for supporting the assault, but Pakistan is shaking their heads in denial.
The Indian missiles were aimed at Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, Murid air base in Chakwal city, and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, as per the spokesman. No word yet from India on the matter. Sharif also mentioned that some of those Indian missiles somehow wandered off into Afghanistan.
Sharif dropped a bombshell by saying, “I want to give you the shocking news that India fired six ballistic missiles from its city of Adampur.” One missile hit Adampur, and the rest landed in the Indian Punjab area of Amritsar.
The Indian army reported seeing drones in 26 locations across various areas in states bordering Pakistan and Indian-controlled Kashmir. They said they kept an eye on those drones and dealt with them accordingly. The situation is being closely monitored, and action is being taken when needed.
India went ahead and did airstrikes in Pakistani territory, targeting what they called militant-related sites, which resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians, according to Pakistani officials. Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets in retaliation.
On another occasion, India said they foiled Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets in over a dozen cities and towns, including Jammu city in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan denied any involvement in those drone attacks. India also claimed to have hit Pakistan’s air defense systems and radars near Lahore.
It’s a whole messy situation, and things are getting real tense between these two countries. Let’s hope they can find a way to settle their differences without all this missile-firing and drone-dodging drama.