India

India’s defence minister claims attacks did not affect civilians

Germany calls for ‘responsible action’, Japan warns of further escalation

Germany‘s foreign office has issued a statement on X calling for calm as tensions between India and Pakistan continue to escalate.

“Following the horrific terrorist attack in Kashmir and the Indian military response to it, responsible action from both countries is urgently needed”, the statement reads. “Escalation must be prevented and civilians protected”.

It said that Germany is in contact with India and Pakistan, and is monitoring the situation closely.

Japan echoed these sentiments in its own statement, saying that the country is “deeply concerned that the recent series of events could lead to further reprisals and escalate into a full-scale military conflict”.

“Japan strongly urges both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and stabilize the situation through dialogue for the peace and stability in South Asia”, the statement from Iwaya Takeshi, Japan’s foreign minister, said.

Real risk of military escalation in India-Pakistan conflict despite attempts to contain it

Federica Marsi

There is a risk of an accidental escalation between India and Pakistan, despite New Delhi trying to “control the escalation ladder”, according to Chietigj Bajpaee, senior research fellow for South Asia at Chatham House.

“India’s actions and statements – claiming that it has targeted terrorist camps and not military facilities – indicate that it is trying to (ensure) that (the) conflict does not escalate to a wider conventional or nuclear conflict,” the analyst said in a statement sent to Al Jazeera.

Bajpaee said India launched a precision strike operation very similar to the ones it had launched in 2016 and 2019 following attacks against Indian security forces.

“However, both sides have clearly developed a more assertive military posture in recent years,” he continued. “It remains to be seen if limited tit-for-tat actions suffice in appeasing both countries’ domestic political constituencies and hyper-nationalist foreign policies, or if it leads to broader escalation.

“As long as we see these casualties being confined to Kashmir, and we don’t see attacks on military installations on either side, there’s still hope that the conflict will remain relatively contained,” he added.

Pakistan summons India’s charge d’affaires: Report

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has called in India’s Charge d’Affaires Geetika Srivastava – New Delhi’s top diplomat in Islamabad – to rebuke India’s overnight attacks, reports Pakistan’s state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.

“It was conveyed that India’s blatant act of aggression constitutes a clear violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty,” the ministry was quoted as saying. “Such actions are in contravention of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms governing inter-state relations.”

It added that “Pakistan firmly rejected India’s baseless justifications for its hostile conduct.”

Are India’s attacks on Pakistan unprecedented?

No, India’s response is not unprecedented.

In 2016, it launched surgical strikes in response to the killing of 19 Indian soldiers at an army base in Uri, in Indian-administered Kashmir.

It also launched air attacks near Pakistan’s Balakot following the 2019 Pulwama bombing, a suicide attack that killed 40 soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Additionally, in 2001, India initiated Operation Parakram in response to attacks by armed men who stormed the Indian parliament. This led to a military standoff that lasted 10 months.

However, India’s attacks were the most expansive since the neighbours last fought a full-fledged war in 1971 – a time when neither had nuclear weapons at their disposal as they do now.

India, Pakistan and diplomacy

James Bays, Al Jazeera's diplomatic editor

In some cases, one of the first things countries do in such tense times is to cut diplomatic relations.

They’d say the other side’s ambassador needs to leave their capital and normally that becomes a tit-for-tat situation – in this case, to be precise, we have high commissioners rather than ambassadors because both India and Pakistan are members of the Commonwealth – and that’s what an ambassador is called in a Commonwealth country.

It’s interesting that they’ve retained their ties, which they have downgraded before – perhaps an indication not just of the current crisis but of the number of the relations there are between India and Pakistan. Even in times of such tensions, there is so much trade between these two vast countries, and that, of course, continues.

There’s certainly a line of communication between the two countries, with the most important being the military-to-military links – they have ways of talking to each other.

Looking back at the last time there was a tense period in 2019, and I have no way of confirming this, but the former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed in his book that he was on the phone and he reduced the tensions – in fact he and the then-National Security Advisor John Bolton were attending talks between the US and North Korea in Hanoi, Vietnam and they went into a secure room and phoned both sides to defuse tensions.

Now the question is whether the US will be able to perform that role again if it’s required. The US doesn’t have great relations with Pakistan; it has pretty good relations with the Indian government, but even they’ve got their nose slightly out of joint in recent weeks over the tariffs issue.

In terms of other players, China is very much in Pakistan’s camp and supplies it with lots of its weaponry. Russia is interesting because it used to supply India with its weaponry; it doesn’t do so much now, so maybe Russia could be a mediator. Also, potentially look out for Iran and countries in the Gulf region.

Iran adds to international calls for ‘restraint’

Iran is the latest country to call for restraint as heavy military clashes between India and Pakistan continue.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei “expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions” and urged both countries to “exercise restraint”, according to a statement.

Iran, which borders Pakistan and maintains good relations with India, had offered to mediate last month.

Pakistani defence committee issues ‘strong response’, blames India for attacking hydroelectric facility

Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

There has been a very strong response (from Pakistan’s National Security Committee).

After an extraordinary meeting of the committee, in which all the military chiefs were present, the prime minister’s office released a statement calling India’s attack an “unprovoked cowardly and unlawful act of war”, consisting of missiles and drones. It said 47 aircraft, many belonging to brotherly countries, were in the air when the Indian attack took place, putting them in harm’s way.

The release also emphatically rejected the Indian allegation that Pakistan was involved in what happened in Pahalgam.

Pakistan also blamed India for attacking a hydroelectric power facility (which brings water from the Neelum River to the Jhelum River), saying this was an act against international law and that Pakistan reserves the right to respond.

India’s defence minister claims attacks did not affect civilians

Rajnath Singh has claimed that India’s overnight attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir did not harm civilians, contradicting Pakistani government claims of civilian casualties.

“We only hit those who killed innocents,” the defence minister was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

“Under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi, our Indian armed forces have made us all proud,” he added.

As we previously reported, Pakistan’s National Security Committee issued a statement accusing India of “unjustified attacks” that “deliberately targeted the civilian areas, on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps”.

 Explosions in Indian-administered Kashmir

Video filmed in Indian-administered Kashmir captured loud explosions and smoke around the town of Poonch near the Line of Control as Pakistan promised a “robust response” to a series of Indian air attacks.

Indian-administered Kashmir residents brace for more violence: Local journalist

Al Jazeera has spoken with Kashmir-based journalist Umar Meraj about the situation in the Indian-administered part of the region.

He said that while exchanges of fire along the border have stopped for now, residents remain wary of further escalation they could be “caught in the middle” of.

Concerns are especially high in areas such as Kupwara and Rajouri, which he said previously came under “heavy artillery and mortar fire, leading to civilian deaths”.

At least seven border areas have shuttered all schools and educational institutions amid the tensions, he added.

Modi cancels Europe trip, meets with cabinet

Neha Poonia, reporting from New Delhi, India

India has defended its strikes, calling them non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible. India is also maintaining that, contrary to what Pakistan is claiming, no civilians were targeted – that it simply targeted terror camps.

We are now seeing more developments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly cancelled his upcoming trip to Europe on account of the heightened tensions. He’s also holding a senior-level cabinet meeting to discuss security matters.

We’ve also heard more about the situation on the ground in India-administered Kashmir, where people have been killed in cross-border fire overnight. People in border villages say it’s been a heavy night of shelling. Many have left their homes. Others have resorted to using bunkers that have been inoperational for the last few years.

More air travel disruptions as tensions spiral between India and Pakistan

Air India has cancelled flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot due to the closure of airports following the tensions with Pakistan.

India’s flagship carrier said flights would be suspended until May 10.

According to local Malaysian outlet The Star, Malaysia’s flagship carrier has cancelled flights to Amritsar, India.

“We will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure safe and reliable operations,” the airline was quoted as saying to The Star, adding that this cancellation will remain in effect until at least May 9.

Malaysia Airlines also said it had rerouted two long-haul flights after the closure of Pakistan’s airspace.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Batik Air says in a statement that it had cancelled several flights to and from Lahore, Pakistan, and Amritsar, India, due to ongoing airspace restrictions arising from heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

Qatar, UAE call on India and Pakistan to avoid military escalation

Qatar has said it “follows with great concern the continuing escalation between India and Pakistan” and called for “resolving the crisis through diplomatic channels”.

The deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, called for “restraint” and urged the avoidance of military escalation.

Pakistani PM chairing security meeting, expected to address the nation

Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is chairing a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee and is likely to address the nation after that.

In a little while, the TV networks will also be airing the funerals of those killed in last night’s attacks.

We’ve also heard from Pakistani Defence Ministry spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who said that the Pakistani aircraft that attacked the Indian aircraft never crossed into Indian airspace but instead used BVR, or beyond-visual-range missiles.

Where did India hit Pakistan? Mapping Operation Sindoor and border strikes

Just after midnight on Wednesday, India’s army launched Operation Sindoor, hitting nine sites it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan’s armed forces said India’s military attacked six different places in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, launching 24 strikes, killing at least 26 people and wounding more than 35.

Since then, heavy shelling has taken place across the Line of Control between India and Pakistan.

Residents of Pakistani Kashmir recount fleeing into hills during Indian attacks

Residents of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said they fled their homes and ran into surrounding hills as India launched air attacks on part of the city.

“The whole house moved. Everyone got scared, we all evacuated, took our kids and went up (the hills),” Muhammad Shair Mir, 46, told Reuters.

He added that his family spent four hours in the open. Some of his neighbours had gone to hospital with injuries and the remainder were shaken.

Many people gathered after sunrise near a mosque that had been hit in the attacks, its roof smashed and minaret toppled, the news agency reported. Security forces had cordoned off the area.

“This is wrong … Poor innocent people, our poor mothers are sick, our sisters are sick … our houses were rattled, our walls have cracked,” the resident said.

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir said at least 10 people were killed and nearly 50 wounded there.

Pakistan’s National Security Committee says India ‘ignited an inferno’

Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) has said India “has once again ignited an inferno in the region” and called on the international community to recognise the gravity of its “unprovoked illegal actions and to hold it accountable for its blatant violations of international norms and laws”.

In a statement released after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the NSC said India’s “unjustified attacks deliberately targeted the civilian areas, on the false pretext of presence of imaginary terrorist camps”, and caused “grave danger to commercial airlines”.

“The responsibility for ensuing consequences shall lie squarely with India,” it said.

UK says ‘ready to support’ India, Pakistan amid tensions

The UK has offered to play a diplomatic role in the India-Pakistan conflict, calling both countries a “friend” and “partner”.

“We stand ready to support both countries,” UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told BBC Radio.

“Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do.”

India’s cricket coach calls to halt matches with Pakistan

India’s national cricket team head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has said India should stop playing Pakistan entirely, as tensions between the two nations escalate.

“My personal answer to this is absolutely no,” Gambhir said yesterday, hours before India conducted air attacks on its neighbour. “‘Till all this (stops), there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”

He added that the final decision about national cricket matches lies with the government and that he would respect whatever it decides.

While two-way cricket between India and Pakistan has been suspended since 2013, they still play each other in multiteam tournaments, mostly in neutral venues.

Any match between the archrivals remains a cricketing blockbuster and is declared sold out within hours after tickets go on sale. India has dominated the rivalry in recent years, but emotions still run high on either side of the border.

Qatar’s PM holds phone call with India’s foreign minister

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has spoken with India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and expressed Doha’s concern over the mounting tensions with Pakistan.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X that Sheikh Mohammed, who is the Gulf state’s prime minister and foreign minister, reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to help find a concerted solution through dialogue and peaceful means.

India’s top airline cancels 165 flights

IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has announced it has called off 165 flights from 11 locations due to the clashes.

The cancelled flights include those scheduled in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.

IndiGo, which operates more than 2,200 flights daily, is among the worst-affected airlines due to the flare-up in violence, with its shares dropping as much as 3.1 percent.

Turkiye condemns Indian attack, says it ‘created risk of all-out war’

Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry has denounced India’s overnight attacks on Pakistan, claiming they targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure.

In a statement, the ministry warned the “provocative steps” have opened the door to “all-out war”.

It also called on all parties to act sensibly and said it hopes steps would be taken to reduce tensions as soon as possible.

Indian strike wrecks mosque in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

As we’ve reported, one of India’s overnight aerial attacks damaged a mosque in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

A resident of the city told Al Jazeera the attack caused panic, pushing people to flee into the mountains for hours.

‘Nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan would cause millions of immediate deaths’

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) says it is “gravely concerned” at the escalation of fighting between India and Pakistan.

“A nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan would cause millions of immediate deaths in the region and have global consequences,” said Melissa Parke, executive director of ICAN, which was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.

Warning of a “nuclear winter” that could drastically disrupt agriculture worldwide with catastrophic consequences, Parker urged both governments to show restraint and de-escalate and called on the international community to redouble efforts towards disarmament.

“The only way to guarantee these weapons are never used is to ban and eliminate them.”

No confirmation from India on Pakistan’s claim of downing 5 jets

Speaking from Indian-administered Kashmir, journalist Umar Meraj tells Al Jazeera there is no official comment from India on Pakistan’s claims that five Indian warplanes were downed overnight.

An unidentified aircraft fell on a school building on the outskirts of Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, Meraj said, adding that it is unknown if the aircraft crash-landed, as security forces have sealed off the area.

India’s foreign secretary says Pakistan has ‘well-deserved’ reputation as ‘haven for terrorists’

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has accused Pakistan of failing to act against “terrorist infrastructure” on its soil following the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

“Instead, all it has indulged in is denial and allegations,” Misri told a media briefing in New Delhi.

“Pakistan also has a well-deserved reputation as a haven for terrorists around the world,” he said.

Intelligence showed further attacks were ‘impending’ against India, foreign secretary says

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri says intelligence indicated that “further attacks were impending” against India.

“There was thus the compulsion both to deter and to preempt,” Misri told a news conference in New Delhi.

Users say Pakistan has lifted block on accessing X

Social media users in Pakistan have said that they are able to access X again, suggesting the government of Pakistan has lifted a block on the platform.

Pakistan’s government had blocked access to X, previously known as Twitter, around the time of elections in February 2024, citing national security concerns.

Users had only been able to access X if they had access to a VPN, although several Pakistani officials took to the platform to announce Pakistan’s response to India’s attacks overnight.

Where is Muridke and why is it important?

Muridke is a city near Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab region and one of the locations hit by India’s overnight missile strikes.

Members of the rebel group Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of the key targets of India’s Operation Sindoor, are said to be based in the city.

Lashkar-e-Taiba wants to see the entire Kashmir region administered by Pakistan and has been linked to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The group is a designated a “terrorist organisation” by countries such as the US, and it was previously implicated in the deadly 2008 attack on Mumbai.

India’s opposition leaders back attacks on Pakistan

India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, has come out strongly in favour of the government’s attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“Proud of our Armed Forces. Jai Hind!” Rahul Gandhi wrote on X.

Gandhi, the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha – the lower house of parliament – used a popular Hindi expression that can be translated as “Hail India!” or “Long live India!”

Mallikarjun Kharge, the opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, said his party was “extremely proud” of India’s armed forces.

“We applaud their resolute resolve and courage. Since the day of the Pahalgam Terror Attack, the Indian National Congress has categorically stood with the Armed Forces and the Government to take any decisive action against cross border terror,” Kharge said on X.

“National Unity and solidarity is the need of the hour and the Indian National Congress stands with our Armed Forces. Our leaders have shown the path in past, and National Interest is supreme for us.”

India-Pakistan should ‘stop ceasefire violations along the border’: Analyst

International Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for India, Praveen Donthi, says that the “escalation between India and Pakistan has already reached a larger scale than during the last major crisis in 2019” with “potentially dire consequences”.

“Domestic emotions are high on both sides, fuelling the danger of further escalation,” he said, but “India and Pakistan should choose diplomacy, as any further military action carries unacceptable risks”.

“As a starting point, both sides should stop ceasefire violations along the border,” he added.

Other countries should also call on India and Pakistan to de-escalate, he said, including by initiating back-channel talks and preventing further tit-for-tat.

Why did India strike Pakistan? All we know about Operation Sindoor

Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir were rocked by multiple missile attacks by India early on Wednesday morning, in which at least eight people, including a three-year-old child, died.

India claimed that its operation, called Sindoor, targeted nine sites with “terrorist infrastructure”.

Pakistan scrambled its jets in response and claimed it had brought down five Indian planes – an assertion to which India has not yet responded.

The Indian attack came 15 days after the deadly attack on tourists in the picturesque Pahalgam town in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, for which India blamed armed groups which it claimed were backed by Pakistan. Islamabad denied any role in that attack.

Now, the nuclear-armed neighbours stand on the precipice of a full-blown military conflict.

Share price is up for top Indian and Chinese defence contractors

There’s been some froth today, but India’s top defence contractors have seen double-digit gains in their share prices over the past 30 days.

Stocks were already on an upswing at the start of April, but a major surge followed the April 22 attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Companies include India’s top aerospace and defence contractor Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, as well as Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Bharat Electronics, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.

The stock price for Paras Defence and Space Technologies, which manufactures drones among other weapons, is up 49 percent over the past 30 days.

China’s defence industry, which supplies Pakistan, has also seen gains today.

Shares for the fighter jet manufacturer Avic Chengdu Aircraft surged nearly 20 percent by midday following a strong performance over the past 30 days.

China’s composite CSI Defense Index was up more than 4 percent by midday.

The index, which includes China’s top 10 defence contractors, has risen more than 11 percent over the past month.

Indian politicians welcome strikes into Pakistani-controlled territory

Indian politicians from different political parties have lauded the strikes. “Victory to Mother India,” India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on X.

India’s main opposition Congress party called for national unity and said it was “extremely proud” of the country’s army. “We applaud their resolute resolve and courage,” Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir says only ‘terrorist’ sites targeted in Pakistan

Omar Abdullah has defended India’s attacks, saying “only terrorist sites in Pakistan were targeted without affecting civilians or military areas.”

“Pakistan bombed civilian areas and targeted civilians; they started it, not us,” the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir added.

“None of us want war, we want stability to return, but Pakistan must lower their weapons first.”

The comments come after Pakistan’s defence minister said all sites hit by India were civilian and not infrastructure of armed groups.

Pakistan puts death toll at 26

Pakistan’s military now says 26 people have been killed and 46 injured by India’s overnight attacks.

India reports at least eight people on its side have been killed from cross-border shelling from Pakistan.

Pakistan’s former foreign minister says India ‘playing with fire’

Hina Rabbani Khar has told Al Jazeera that India’s decision to launch missile attacks into another nuclearly armed state was “like playing with fire”.

“What it shows is that India thinks it has the impunity to be the judge, jury and executor,”  Rabbani Khar said. “It will send missiles into another nuclear-armed state because it seems to think that it can get away with it.”

The former minister said Pakistan had repeatedly warned the UN Security Council about India. “Warning signs were all over the place and now it has just upped the ante,” she said.

Rabbani Khar spoke to Al Jazeera from Qatar’s Doha airport, where she remained unable to travel to Pakistan because of the flight disruptions following India’s strikes. She described the attack as “unprovoked, unsubstantiated and clearly against international law”.

Fear and panic as missiles, shells fall through the night

Residents in Pakistan-administered Kashmir say they experienced a night of fear and panic as Indian missiles caused loud explosions and blackouts.

Heavy shelling also continued into the morning across the Line of Control, catching more people in the crosshairs on both sides.

‘Pakistan has responded’: Minister says Indian attacks killed 8, injured 30

Ramification of major armed conflict between Pakistan, India ‘devastating for both countries’

Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

There is a risk of further escalation because, with the India-Pakistan equation, there is always a tit-for-tat.

Pakistan had said that it would respond forcefully.

Pakistan had also said that any attempt by India to divert the waters of the major rivers that are on the western side of the Indus River chain – and that includes the Chenab – that any river being diverted or water being cut off would be construed as an act of war.

The Indians have already resorted to that. We have reports that at least one major river, the Chenab, the Indians are holding water back and say that they will not release that water.

So that is a dangerous escalation because this is an existential threat. Pakistan is an agricultural country. It relies heavily on agriculture for its revenue and food security and Pakistani politicians, of course, have been saying that if the Indians stop those rivers, then those rivers will flow with blood.

So, at least at this moment, there should be caution by both sides. These are nuclear-armed states.

The ramifications of any major conflict between the two would be devastating for both countries.

Pakistan’s PM condemns ‘cowardly attack’ on X

Pakistan’s prime minister is back on X condemning India’s “cowardly” and “unprovoked” attack.

“Pakistan reserves the absolute right to respond decisively to this unprovoked Indian attack — a resolute response is already under way,” Sharif wrote, according to a translation.

“The entire nation stands united behind its armed forces, and our morale and resolve remain unshaken,” he added.

Three civilians killed by Pakistani artillery fire, Indian army says

India’s army says three civilians were killed overnight by Pakistani artillery fire.

The Pakistani army “resorted to arbitrary firing” across the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir, the army said in a statement.

“Three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing/shelling”, the army said, adding that Indian forces were “responding in proportionate manner”.

Pakistan accuses India of ‘unprovoked and blatant act of war’

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a strongly worded statement accusing India of carrying out an “unprovoked and blatant act of war”.

“India’s act of aggression has resulted in martyrdom of civilians, including women and children,” the statement says.

“This act of aggression has also caused grave threat to commercial air traffic. We strongly condemn India’s cowardly action, which is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms of inter-state relations.”

The ministry’s statement also accuses India of using the “bogey of terrorism to advance its sham narrative of victimhood, jeopardising regional peace and security”.

“India’s reckless action has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict,” it says.

“The situation continues to evolve. Pakistan reserves the right to respond appropriately at a time and place of its choosing, in accordance with the Article-51 of the UN Charter, and as enshrined in international law. The government, armed forces and people of Pakistan stand united in the face of Indian aggression. They will always act with iron resolve to protect and preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan.”

US Senator calls for restraint, diplomacy

US Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a top member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says she is “gravely concerned” by the “military escalation between India and Pakistan.”

“I implore the two governments to exercise restraint and prioritise diplomatic engagement,” she said.

The latest developments follow “the senseless terrorist attacks targeting innocent Indian civilians on April 22,” Shaheen added, calling for the perpetrators of those “heinous” attacks to be “brought to justice as soon as possible.”

India rebuts Pakistani claims via ‘fact check’ account

India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) is using its dedicated “fact check” account on X to dispute Pakistani reports of the ongoing military exchanges between the sides.

Social media posts claiming that Pakistan destroyed an Indian Army brigade headquarters are false, the PIB Fact Check account claims. Reports of the destruction of the Indian brigade headquarters have been reported by Pakistani media.

Al Jazeera was not able to independently confirm or debunk either of the claims.

IBTN was not able to independently confirm or debunk either of the claims.

India army says 3 injured in cross-border shelling between India, Pakistan

The situation has “sharply escalated between Indian and Pakistan” forces, with both sides exchanging heavy fire along the Line of Control that separates Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir, journalist Umar Meraj told Al Jazeera.

Speaking from Indian-administered Kashmir, Meraj said that three people had been injured by the shelling, according to the Indian army, and an unidentified aircraft came down on a school building in the region.

“It is unclear if the aircraft crash landed and (if) the military and the security forces sealed off the area. Residents say that at like 2:30am in the night, they heard a loud blast, (and) after, they saw fire in the sky,” Meraj said.

He added that there has been no official word in India about claims by Pakistani officials that several Indian warplanes were brought down in the overnight clashes.

US’s Rubio spoke with Indian, Pakistani security officials, State Department says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with the national security advisers of India and Pakistan, urging the two sides to “keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation”, the US State Department has said.

The statement made on X comes after Rubio earlier said he was monitoring the situation closely and engaging with both sides “towards a peaceful resolution”.

What is ‘Operation Sindoor’?

Operation Sindoor is the military codename for what India described as a “precision strike” on Pakistan, and carried out in what New Delhi said was a response to the April 22, 2025 attack on Indian tourists by suspected rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Indian forces said they struck “terrorist infrastructure” at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor.

Indian media said the strikes specifically targeted the armed groups Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, which are both based in Kashmir and want the region to merge with Pakistan.

India’s military separately said “no Pakistan military facilities have been targeted”, while it had “demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution” during the strike.

The India Today news site said the name of the mission sent a “message” to Pakistan. Sindoor is the word for vermilion, which is a mark of married Hindu women. It is a reference to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, “in which men, including those newly married, were singled out on the basis of their religion and killed by terrorists”, India Today reports.

Pakistani minister says ‘whole nation’ supports retaliation against India

Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar says the “whole nation” is behind the country’s armed forces and supports retaliation against India.

“We are a peaceful people, but when it comes to challenging us, the whole nation will respond and the whole nation is united against Indian aggression, and standing behind the armed forces of Pakistan,” Tarar said in an interview with Turkey’s TRT World, a snippet of which was shared on the Pakistani government’s X account.

World must have ‘zero tolerance for terrorism,’ Indian foreign minister says

Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has made his first public comments on New Delhi’s attacks on Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

“The world must show zero tolerance for terrorism,” Jaishankar said in a post on his official X account.

Korean Air says it is avoiding Pakistani airspace

South Korea’s Korean Air has announced that it will avoid Pakistan’s airspace for flights between Incheon and Dubai.

The announcement follows similar moves by many other carriers, including Air France and Lufthansa.

Pakistan claims Indian army raised ‘white flag’ at border

Pakistan has claimed that Indian troops raised a white flag, a common symbol of surrender, at a military post along the border dividing Kashmir.

The Pakistani government made the claim on its official X account.

Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar echoed the claim on his X account, posting: “First they fled from the investigation, now they fled from the field.”

Al Jazeera and IBTN could not independently confirm the claim.

Translation: Pakistani forces shot down five enemy aircraft and one drone. Pakistani forces inflicted heavy damage on enemy posts along the Line of Control. The Indian Army also hoisted a white flag at the Chura Complex on the Line of Control.

‘Pakistan has responded’: Minister says Indian attacks killed 8, injured 30

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar spoke to Al Jazeera earlier about India’s attack.

Here’s what he said:

India has resorted to aggression without any evidence against Pakistan in the Pahalgam (attack) – (for) which we’ve offered an investigation – a fair and transparent investigation.

India ran away from that investigation, could not provide any evidence against Pakistan, and attacked our civilian population. People living with their families: young kids, children, women, girls. And, so far, there have been eight people who have died, 30 who are injured. Mostly, they are families.

Five areas were attacked in Pakistan. Five localities in different parts of Pakistan. Two mosques have been hit.

It is very unfortunate that India would attack innocent civilians who have nothing to do with anything.

So I think Pakistan, as a responsible nation, defending its honour, defending its territorial integrity, has responded back. We’ve shot down five planes of the Indian air force. We’ve shot down one drone and many quadcopters in this process.

We were apprehensive that India would attack Pakistan without justifiable cause, and they have done so, and Pakistan has defended itself, and we always said that we would strike back.

We will not strike first. But if India resorts to aggression, Pakistan will respond, and Pakistan has responded.

Three killed, several wounded by Pakistani artillery fire on Indian-administered Kashmir

Speaking from Indian-administered Kashmir, journalist Umar Meraj told Al Jazeera that at least three civilians have been killed and several wounded in Indian-administered Kashmir amid heavy exchanges of artillery fire between Indian and Pakistani forces along the line of control separating the two countries.

China calls India’s attack ‘regrettable’, urges restraint on both sides

China has called India’s attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir “regrettable” while urging both sides to exercise restraint.

“China finds India’s military operation early this morning regrettable. We are concerned about the ongoing situation,” a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“India and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbours. They’re both China’s neighbours as well. China opposes all forms of terrorism. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation.”

Pakistani ground forces ‘engaged’ with Indian troops along Line of Control in Kashmir

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar spoke to Al Jazeera earlier about India’s attack and the military response from Pakistan.

Here’s more of what the minister said:

Along the Line of Control in Kashmir, Pakistani ground forces are engaged. There is an exchange of fire going on; we have destroyed a few Indian posts across the Line of Control.

Air skirmishes are also going on. We’ve shot down five planes. So it’s an ongoing situation which is developing.

We have a national security meeting, called by the prime minister, at 10am Pakistan time (05:00 GMT). This is our highest forum, which is chaired by the prime minister, the National Security Council.

Indian government holds media briefing on attacks

The Indian government is holding a media briefing on “Operation Sindoor”.

The briefing is taking place at the National Media Centre in New Delhi and is being streamed live on YouTube and Facebook.

India-Pakistan Fighting: Pakistan confirms attacks on Indian military targets

Pakistan’s military ‘response is under way’ to Indian attack

Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Reports have come in, confirmed by Pakistani military sources, that at least two (Indian) aircraft were shot down. We are now getting reports of a possible third fixed-wing aircraft also being shot down.

The Indian attack unfolded just after midnight (Wednesday) local Pakistan time (19:00 GMT on Tuesday). We were able to observe a number of fighter aircraft… we could hear the noise of possible Pakistani aircraft on their way towards the Indian positions because now, we are told that Pakistan is giving its response. That response is under way.

Pakistani sources are also now saying that they have destroyed a brigade headquarters.

I spoke to one of our reporters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. He said there was heavy shelling going on along the Line of Control. That the civilian population was leaving those areas and, of course, an emergency has also been declared in Pakistani-administer Kashmir.

In hospitals, all staff leave has been cancelled.

Pakistani minister claims downed third Indian jet, drone

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar now says that a third Indian jet, as well as an Indian drone, have been “shot down by Pakistan.”

“Pakistan has befittingly retaliated against Indian Aggression,” Tarar said in a post on X.

There was no immediate comment from India.

Pakistan says 2 mosques targeted in India strikes

A Pakistani military spokesman told the broadcaster Geo that sites struck by India included two mosques.

Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told Geo that all sites targeted by India were civilian and not infrastructure of armed groups. He said India’s claim of targeting “camps of terrorists is false”.

India blamed Pakistan for violence in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, in which 26 men were killed, and had promised to respond. Pakistan denied it had anything to do with the killings and said it had intelligence that India was planning to attack.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister claims more planes shot down, soldiers captured

Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Asif said that Pakistan has shot down five Indian planes and has also taken some Indian soldiers prisoner.

We’ve been reporting on Pakistan’s claims it has shot down Indian fighter jets, but Indian officials have yet to comment.

At least 8 killed in Pakistan as six locations hit by Indian missiles: ISPR chief

Abid Hussain, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan’s armed forces, delivered a brief late-night news conference in which he revealed that at least eight Pakistanis were killed and at least 35 more were injured in the Indian missile attacks.

Chaudhry said that India’s military attacked six different locations in Pakistan, launching a total of 24 strikes.

The biggest attack was in Ahmedpur Sharqia, near Bahawalpur city in Punjab province. According to Chaudhry, a mosque compound was hit and five people were killed, including a 3-year-old girl.

Other attacks took place in Muridke city, a village near the city of Sialkot, and Shakargarh, also in Punjab province.

Two locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir – Muzzafarabad and Kotli – were also hit and two mosques were destroyed. A 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy were killed in the attacks.

The military spokesperson did not provide any information regarding earlier claims of the downing of Indian jets.

UAE foreign minister urges restraint

In a statement, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has called on both India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace”.

Zayed “reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity”, the statement said.

Airports closed in Indian-administered Kashmir, northern India

India’s NDTV broadcaster is reporting that the airport in Srinagar, the largest city in Indian-administered Kashmir, has been closed to civilians.

India’s IndiGo airline has also advised passengers that flights to and from several airports are being affected by “changing airspace conditions in the region”.

According to IndiGo, the airports affected include Srinagar and Leh, in Indian-administered Kashmir, as well as Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bikaner, and Dharamshala, in northern India.

India’s SpiceJet also said, in a post on X, that airports in “parts of northern India” were closed “due to ongoing situation”.

Pakistan ‘not mincing its words’, confirms attacks on Indian military targets

Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to a foreign TV network, confirmed that at least five Indian aircraft have been shot down and that several Indian soldiers have been taken prisoner.

This is according to the Pakistani defence minister.

Pakistan said that it would respond to any Indian attack against Pakistan, and Pakistan is now responding to that Indian attack.

We are told that at least one infantry brigade headquarters has been destroyed. Heavy shelling has now resumed on the Line of Control that separates Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan and India were both warned by the United States and friendly countries, including the United Nations secretary-general, who had asked both countries to exercise maximum restraint.

The Indian side said that they struck non-military targets but Pakistan is not mincing its words, saying that they had attacked Indian military targets in reprisal for what Pakistan says was an attack on innocent civilians.

People across Pakistan are now on the streets. They were woken up after that Indian strike.

A state of emergency was declared in the hospitals. All hospital staff have been asked to report to duty and that is the same situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Rubio says monitoring situation closely

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is “monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely.”

“I echo (Trump’s) comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution,” Rubio wrote in a post on X.

As we reported earlier, the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC said India had briefed Rubio shortly after the attacks against Pakistan.

Schools closed in Pakistan’s Punjab province

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of the Pakistani province of Punjab, says that educational institutions will remain closed tomorrow “in view of public safety”.

Sharif said that examinations in universities and colleges would also be postponed, with the exception of tests administered by international examining bodies.

Airlines, including Air India and Qatar Airways, suspend or divert flights

A growing list of airlines are suspending or rerouting flights.

Air India has announced the cancellation of all flights to and from nine cities, including Jammu, Srinagar and Leh in Indian-administered Kashmir, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Bhuj in the western Indian state of Gujarat, and Amritsar in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab.

The airline said the routes would be suspended until midday on Wednesday, pending updates from authorities.

India’s SpiceJet and IndiGo have said that flights to and from destinations in northern India, including Jammu and  Dharamshala, have been affected.

Pakistan International Airlines has announced the diversion of already airborne flights to Karachi.

Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.

India-Pakistan Fighting: India briefed US after missile attack on Pakistan

Trump administration ‘very engaged’ on India-Pakistan tensions

Michael Kugelman, a writer at Foreign Policy magazine specialised in South Asia, notes that US President Trump’s administration has expressed a desire to help de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan since last month’s attack in Pahalgam.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in touch with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts. A State Department spokesperson also said earlier that the US government “is very engaged” on the issue.

“We’re at the point now where the escalation risks have really grown, and that suggests the Trump administration will want to do what it can to urge the sides to de-escalate,” Kugelman told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC.

While US efforts to mediate between the two sides are positive, “it would be helpful” to have other countries push for de-escalation as well, he added.

Pakistan claims ‘downing two Indian fighter jets’

The Pakistan military’s media chief, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudry, has claimed that Pakistan has “downed Indian fighter jets”, without providing any further information.

“There are two confirmed aircraft of the Indian Air Force that have already been shot down. There are other reports of multiple damages that the Pakistani forces, both on ground and air, have inflicted,” he told CNN.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also repeated the claim in an interview with British news channel Sky News.

“We shot down two Indian planes and we are responding to Indian aggression right now as we speak,” Tarrar said.

There was no immediate comment from India.

Leader of Pakistan People’s Party says nation is ‘united, defiant’

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has described India’s attacks as “cowardly and unprovoked”.

“Attacks on civilian targets in Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli & Muzaffarabad are acts of war,” Bhutto Zardari said on X.

“Pakistan’s armed forces, backed by an unbreakable nation, are responding with full force,” he said, adding that the nation is “united, defiant, and ready”.

The 5 places Pakistan says India targeted

 - Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Kotli, Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Bagh, Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan’s Punjab province
- Muridke, Pakistan’s Punjab province

How many wars have India and Pakistan fought?

Four – three of them over Kashmir.

Two months after the end of the British rule and emergence of the two South Asian nations, a war over Kashmir erupted between them. Pakistani militias invaded Kashmir, then ruled by a Hindu king, to claim full control over the region. The king, Hari Singh, pleaded with India for help. New Delhi agreed on condition that Singh would sign an instrument of accession, merging Kashmir with India. The king agreed. The war ended in 1948, and a ceasefire agreement allowing India and Pakistan to control parts of Kashmir came into effect on January 1, 1949.

In 1965, a clash between Indian and Pakistani border forces escalated into a full-blown war. Pakistani forces crossed the ceasefire line into Indian-administered Kashmir, while Indian forces crossed the international border into Pakistan’s Lahore city and launched attacks. After thousands of casualties on both sides, a UN Security Council resolution ended the war.

In 1971, Pakistan and India were embroiled in an armed conflict over then East Pakistan, which Indian forces helped liberate, leading to the establishment of Bangladesh as a nation. In 1972, India and Pakistan signed the Simla Agreement, which established a Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Kashmir into two parts.

In 1999, Pakistani soldiers crossed the LoC, sparking a war in Kargil area of Indian-administered Kashmir. Indian troops were able to push Pakistani soldiers back after bloody battles in the snowy heights of the Ladakh region.

Pakistan speaks of ‘crushing response’

In a social media post, Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, accused India of carrying out “cowardly attacks on innocent civilians and mosques”.

India said it had hit “terrorist infrastructure”, claiming it struck sites where attacks against it were planned and directed.

In his post, Tarar said that “the Armed Forces of Pakistan are delivering a crushing response, exactly in line with the sentiments of the people”, without offering details.

“This nation will hold the enemy accountable for every single drop of its martyrs’ blood,” he added.

India briefed US after missile attack on Pakistan

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly after the attacks against Pakistan, the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, says.

“India’s actions have been focused and precise,” the embassy said in a statement.

It added that Rubio, who is also Trump’s acting US national security adviser, had been briefed “on the actions taken”.

India-Pakistan Fighting: PM Sharif says Pakistan responding to attacks

PM Sharif says Pakistan responding to attacks

Wednasday, May 7, 2025

In a post on X, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decried the strike as an “act of war”.

“Pakistan has every right to give a befitting reply to this act of war imposed by India and a befitting reply is being given,” he said.

“The enemy will never be allowed to succeed in his nefarious objectives,” he said, adding that the morale of the Pakistani nation is high.

India accuses Pakistan of firing into village in Indian-administered Kashmir

The Indian military says Pakistan fired into Bhimber Gali, a village near the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Pakistan- and India-administered Kashmir.

In a post on X, the army said it is “responding appropriately in a calibrated manner”.

‘It’s a shame,’ Trump says of India-Pakistan escalation

US President Donald Trump has been asked by reporters about the ongoing crisis.

“It’s a shame. We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval (Office),” he said.

“I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time,” the US president added.

"I hope it ends very quickly."

Pakistan’s PM summons National Security Committee

Shehbaz Sharif has summoned the National Security Committee to meet at 10am (05:00 GMT) today, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar has said, according to state broadcaster Pakistan Television.

Head of Pakistan’s Punjab province tells residents to stay in their homes

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of the Pakistani province of Punjab, has urged residents to avoid leaving their homes “unnecessarily” and to heed instructions from the authorities following India’s attacks.

In a statement shared on social media, she also instructed hospitals, rescue workers, and other state institutions to “remain on alert on an emergency basis”.

“We want peace, but with respect. If war is imposed, the entire nation will become an army,” the chief minister said.

Pakistan will defend its sovereignty ‘by all means’: Foreign minister

Ishaq Dar has denounced India’s attacks as a “flagrant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty”.

“It has jeopardized regional peace,” the foreign minister wrote on X, adding that the country would defend its “sovereignty & territorial integrity by all means”.

UN chief calls for ‘maximum military restraint from both countries’

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has released the following statement:

“The secretary-general is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border.

“He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”

‘A dangerous escalation’
Kamal Hyder, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

These attacks took place at several different locations.

According to the Pakistani military sources, Pakistan is right now responding with the befitting response at several locations across the Line of Control and across the border.

We were able to hear fighter jets up in the air.

So it is indeed an evolving situation, but Pakistan is now confirming that it is already carrying out reprisal attacks against the Indian missile attack.

This is a dangerous escalation given the fact that Pakistan has said that it wanted concrete evidence after the Pahalgam attack, saying that India was quick to point the finger of blame at it.

Pakistan said it wanted a neutral inquiry; the attackers are still at large and Pakistan said this was a knee-jerk reaction.

US says it’s in touch with both Pakistan and India

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has called on both countries to “work towards a responsible resolution that maintains long-term peace and regional stability in South Asia”.

“We remain in touch with the governments of both countries at multiple levels,” she said.

The United States has close relations with India and voiced solidarity after April’s attack. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week called top officials from both nuclear-armed nations and advised de-escalation.

India-Pakistan fighting: India fires missiles into Pakistan

6 May, 2025
India’s army has launched "Operation Sindoor" – hitting nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan’s military says India attacked Pakistan with missiles in three places and that Islamabad will respond.

The Indian army said, "Justice is served" in a post on X after the missiles were fired.

Tensions have been escalating between India and Pakistan since the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025 which India blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan has denied any involvement.

Pakistan will respond ‘at a time and place of its own choosing’

The spokesman for Pakistan’s armed forces has said the military respond to India’s strike "at a time and place of its own choosing".

"It will not go unanswered,"
the spokesman said in the statement, which was carried by the Associated Press of Pakistan.

DG ISPR:

India has struck three places from air.
Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad

All planes of Pakistan Air Force are airborne. All strikes were made by India from its own airspace.

Pakistan will respond to it at a time and place of its own choosing. It will not go… pic.twitter.com/AdL6lIh0jr

— APP (@appcsocialmedia) May 6, 2025

Pakistani military says 2 killed, 12 injured

We’ll bring you more on the aftermath of India’s attacks as soon as we can.

Pakistani military official: India attacks targeted 3 cities

Abid Hussain, Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan

Lieutenant Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of public relations for Pakistan’s Armed Forces, confirmed India fired missiles at three different cities.

Chaudhry said the attacks were launched from India’s territory and no breach of Pakistani airspace took place.

The missiles targeted the civilian population in Muzzafarabad and Kotli in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, as well as in Bahawalpur, a city in Pakistan’s Punjab province, he said.

In depth analysis  with kemal Hyder.

US urges India and Pakistan to de-escalate Kashmir tensions after deadly attack

Thursday, May 1, 2025
Tensions are rising between India and Pakistan following the killing of 26 tourists in Indian Kashmir. India blames Pakistan for the attack — an allegation Islamabad strongly denies. In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged both nuclear-armed neighbors to de-escalate the situation and avoid further violence.

Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports .

Islamophobia in India: A Rising Concern

India, a country known for its rich cultural heritage and diversity, has been witnessing a disturbing rise in Islamophobia. The Muslim community, which constitutes a significant minority in the country, has been facing increasing hostility, violence, and discrimination. This article aims to explore the roots, manifestations, and implications of Islamophobia in India.

Historical Roots

The roots of Islamophobia in India can be traced back to the partition of India in 1947, which led to the creation of Pakistan and a massive migration of Muslims across the border. Since then, Muslims in India have faced periodic outbreaks of violence, suspicion, and mistrust. The legacy of medieval Islamic conquests, British colonial policies, and the partition has contributed to a complex and often tense relationship between Hindus and Muslims in India.

Manifestations of Islamophobia

Islamophobia in India manifests in various forms, including:
- Communal Violence: Mob attacks on Muslims by Hindu nationalist groups have become increasingly common. These attacks often result in loss of life, property damage, and displacement of Muslims.
- Cow Vigilantism: Cow vigilante groups, often affiliated with Hindu nationalist organizations, have been accused of attacking and killing Muslims suspected of cattle trading or beef consumption.
- Discrimination: Muslims face discrimination in education, employment, and housing, making it difficult for them to integrate into mainstream society.

Role of Politics

The rise of Hindu nationalism in India has contributed significantly to the increase in Islamophobia. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power at the center since 2014, has been accused of promoting a Hindu nationalist agenda that often targets Muslims. Many scholars believe that incidents of anti-Muslim violence are politically motivated and part of the electoral strategy of mainstream political parties associated with Hindu nationalism.

Notable Incidents

Some notable incidents of Islamophobia in India include ¹:
- Nellie Massacre (1983): A violent attack on Muslims in Assam's Nagaon district, resulting in the deaths of over 1,600 people.
- Gujarat Riots (2002): Widespread violence against Muslims in Gujarat, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and widespread displacement.
- Muzaffarnagar Riots (2013): Communal violence in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, resulting in over 60 deaths and displacement of thousands.
- Delhi Riots (2020): Violence against Muslims in Delhi, triggered by protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, resulting in over 50 deaths.

Conclusion

Islamophobia in India is a complex issue with deep historical roots and contemporary manifestations. The rise of Hindu nationalism and communal violence has created a sense of fear and insecurity among Muslims. It is essential to address these issues through dialogue, education, and policy initiatives that promote interfaith harmony and social cohesion. By understanding the complexities of Islamophobia in India, we can work towards building a more inclusive and tolerant society.