India and Pakistan are trading blame after a missile strike early Wednesday left multiple casualties on both sides. India’s military said it carried out the attack, code-named Operation Sindoor, targeting suspected terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan’s military claimed to have shot down several Indian warplanes. Pakistan reported 31 dead and 57 injured, while India said Pakistani artillery fire across the Kashmir divide killed 15 and wounded dozens.
Tensions between the two nations have been escalating. The missile strike was a response to a April 22 attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people. The militant group The Resistance Front, which seeks Kashmir independence, claimed responsibility. India blamed a subgroup of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based armed group. Pakistan denied involvement and called for an independent investigation.
The incident has sparked a diplomatic crisis. India suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a vital source of water for Pakistan. Pakistan retaliated by threatening to pull out of the 1972 Simla Agreement, which followed the India-Pakistan war. Both countries have since scaled back diplomatic ties and expelled each other’s citizens.
The name “Operation Sindoor” refers to the red powder worn by married Hindu women on their forehead or hair parting. The operation’s name is a nod to the widows of men targeted in the April 22 attack because they were Hindu. India’s government chose this name to signal its intent to avenge these women. On social media, the Indian military announced the strike with an image of a sindoor container spilling out, resembling blood splatter.
What’s Behind the Conflict?
The conflict centers on Kashmir, a disputed region claimed by both India and Pakistan. Militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, based in Pakistan, have been blamed for several attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India says its missile strike targeted terrorist infrastructure, including these groups. Vikram Misri, India’s foreign minister, insisted the strike aimed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent future attacks.
Key Targets
India’s military claimed to have hit nine targets, five in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and four in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The targets included suspected militant camps near Bahawalpur, Muridke, Chakarhgarh, and Sialkot. The Indian military presented a map showing 21 militant camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
International concern is growing over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, with calls for restraint to protect civilians.