In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, India launched early morning missile attacks on Pakistan, prompting a swift retaliatory strike by the Pakistan Armed Forces under the newly announced Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Indian missiles targeted Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases in Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal), and Rafiqui (Shorkot). He confirmed that all air force assets remained safe and that most incoming missiles were intercepted by Pakistan’s air defense systems, with those that evaded interception causing no significant damage.
Speaking at a press conference, Lt Gen Chaudhry accused India of endangering regional peace through “madness, aggression and deceit,” citing simultaneous missile and drone attacks on Afghanistan as part of a “larger sinister plan.”
By dawn, Pakistan had begun its counter-strikes. At 5:52am, state-run PTV News and Radio Pakistan reported that Pakistani forces had destroyed an Indian BrahMos missile storage site in Beas, and carried out precision attacks on airbases in Udhampur and Pathankot. PAF’s JF-17 Thunder aircraft were reported to have deployed hypersonic missiles to destroy India’s \$1.5 billion S-400 air defense system in Adampur.
PTV also reported widespread cyberattacks, claiming that numerous Indian government and defense-related websites, including those of BJP, BSF, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, were hacked, with sensitive data leaked and over 2,500 surveillance cameras compromised.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized Pakistan’s right to self-defense, stating, “This is not aggression, it is a response to Indian provocation. We have remained patient for long, but every limit has its end.”
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman stressed that Pakistan’s retaliatory actions were focused solely on military targets, in contrast to India’s alleged attacks on civilian areas.
As both sides brace for further developments, the international community watches with concern amid rising fears of a broader conflict in the region.
