A day after the most severe military clash between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan in two decades, India launched another wave of drone attacks targeting various locations across Pakistan. The Pakistani military reported on Thursday that at least 25 Israeli-made Harop drones were shot down across the country.
Tensions escalated following a deadly attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people. After two weeks of heightened tensions along the border, India launched missile and drone strikes late Wednesday night on nine locations in Pakistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed a strong response to the Indian assault. The recent wave of drone strikes came amid his warning.
At least 45 people, including women and children, were killed in Wednesday’s cross-border attacks. Pakistani military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told AFP that one drone was downed near the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, while another struck a military target near Lahore, injuring four soldiers. Civilian casualties were also reported in Sindh, Punjab province.
Loud explosions were heard across Lahore, and large crowds gathered at drone crash sites. In response to the situation, Karachi airport was closed until 6 PM local time, and flights at Islamabad and Lahore airports were temporarily suspended.
India and Pakistan have had a longstanding conflict over the Kashmir region since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both nations claim full ownership of the territory and have fought three wars over the region.
In a national address, PM Shehbaz Sharif stated, “We will avenge every drop of our martyrs’ blood.”