India and Pakistan traded accusations yesterday over drone attacks, raising concerns within the international community, which has called on the two nuclear powers to de-escalate tensions.
On Wednesday, the Indian and Pakistani armies engaged in heavy artillery shelling following a series of Indian strikes on Pakistan that resulted in the deaths of at least 48 people on both sides, most of them civilians. New Delhi stated that its strikes targeted the group it accuses of carrying out the April 22 attack on Indian Kashmir.
Yesterday, the border city of Lahore woke up to intermittent explosions, while New Delhi reported the “neutralisation” of air defences deployed in the area. India claimed the actions were in response to a nighttime attack involving “Pakistani missiles and drones” targeting “military targets” on its territory.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani military said it had shot down “25 Israeli-made drones” launched by India towards at least nine cities, some of which host military or intelligence facilities, such as Rawalpindi – the twin city of Islamabad. A military spokesperson reported that “one civilian was killed... and four soldiers were injured near Lahore,” the capital of Punjab province.
Residents shared images on social media showing the wreckage of a drone with a wingspan of about two meters.
India’s Defence Ministry stated that its armed forces had targeted radars and air defence systems at several locations in Pakistan, noting that they were “neutralised” in Lahore.
Yesterday evening, explosions were reported at Jammu airport, the main city in the Indian-controlled part of disputed Kashmir, a security source said without giving further details. Shesh Paul Vaid, the former Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, also reported “loud explosions” on social media.
The Pakistani army condemned what it called a “new act of aggression” by India, referring to the use of Israeli-made “Harop” attack drones.
In Rawalpindi, Wajid Khan, a civil defence worker, said: “I want to inform people that drones are still flying.” He added, “There is no need to panic – stay indoors.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority announced the closure of Karachi airport, the country’s economic hub, for most of the day. Operations at three other airports, including those in Islamabad and Lahore, resumed after brief suspensions.
On the diplomatic front, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters that the US was leading international efforts to ease tensions between the two countries. He stated that India’s drone incursions into Pakistani airspace “increasingly confirm” the possibility of Pakistan launching an attack in response.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in talks with visiting Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, part of Tehran’s mediation efforts, affirmed that New Delhi “has no intention of triggering a new escalation.” He warned, however, that any attack from Pakistan would be met with a “very firm response.”
Since the April 22 attack on the Indian side of Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, both armies have been exchanging nightly fire across the Line of Control (LoC) – the de facto border between the two nations.
The confrontation has grown more violent, with intense fighting continuing throughout the day on Wednesday.
Experts say the level of violence seen in recent days is the worst in over two decades.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the Kashmir attack, New Delhi has blamed the Pakistan-based jihadist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, holding Islamabad accountable.
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