United States: Pakistan’s military has pledged Islamabad will “pay dearly” after airstrikes on Wednesday that left at least 31 people dead in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which instigated the fear of outright war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
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India claims that 16 Indian civilians, including three women and five children, have also been killed as Pakistan started shelling across the de facto border between the two South Asian countries in the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir since Wednesday.
Even amid the spillover of hostilities into Thursday, both India and Pakistan declared that they had acted dispassionately, and there are storylines that suggest that security officials of both nations have begun opening the lines of communication, NBC News reported.
However, experts said that for de-escalation, the two countries would need international mediation and some means to declare victory for both sides.
🇮🇳⚔️🇵🇰 India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate After Cross-Border Strikes and Drone Attacks
— PiQ (@PiQSuite) May 8, 2025
🔹 Summary:
India launched strikes on nine alleged militant camps in Pakistan following a deadly attack on Hindu tourists in Kashmir, triggering cross-border drone shootdowns and retaliatory… https://t.co/BqxakDUGQx pic.twitter.com/Q9X2ryw5Ib
New Delhi began the strikes following an April 22 terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 people, the majority being Indian tourists, dead. The militants India claims were behind the blast were receiving help from Pakistan.
Pakistan, which denies any involvement in the attack, has claimed some victory in the Indian assault, claiming to shoot down five Indian fighter jets, as well as 25 Indian drones. India has not validated those reports.
As per the military spokesperson, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, on Thursday, “Indian drones continue to be sent into Pakistan airspace,” & “will continue to pay dearly for this naked aggression.”
US Consulate employees in the Pakistani city of Lahore were instructed to shelter in place on Thursday after elements of the news reported a drone explosion, drone downings, and likely airspace intrusions in the area.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar reported that New Delhi has no plans to further escalate the situation, but if Pakistan makes retaliatory strikes, then they will be met with a ‘very very firm’ response, as NBC News reported
President Donald Trump, who has yet to nominate a US ambassador to either India or Pakistan, stated on Wednesday that he wanted to “see them work it out.”
“They’ve gone tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now,” he stated.