Things just escalated in a huge and dangerous way between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, with the Indian government confirming it has launched strikes on nine sites inside Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted,” the statement added according to Reuters, in a ‘counter-terror’ operation dubbed “Operation Sindoor”.
India identified that it hit the terrorist infrastructure of Islamist groups in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir which killed 26 in the scenic Pahalgam area.
The victims had been singled out by the gunmen, which the Indian government has suggested were sponsored by Pakistan, for being Hindu in a sectarian mass killing.
“These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered. We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” India’s statement read in the wake of the new military action.
The fact that India is taking pains to let the Pakistani side know that no official military sites were targeted strongly suggests New Delhi is trying to strike without it leading to escalation.
Tensions have been soaring since last month, with mirror build-ups of forces on both sides of the disputed Line of Control (LOC) which separates the two countries. There have been military drills, and even recent ballistic missile test launches by Pakistan.
Pakistani security officials have said a child was killed and two others were injured in the early Thursday (local) attack. India said that these were “sites where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.”
The statement continued, “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. It claimed, “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”
Is this the big escalation many have feared, or will this episode of attacks on apparently unaffiliated terror groups within Pakistan’s zone of control lead to de-escalation and cooling? It depends largely on if Pakistan responds militarily. The two sides hate each other and have fought at least three historic wars.
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