- India launched missile attacks on Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad after midnight, sparking immediate regional alarm.
- Pakistan Air Force downed three Indian jets, including a Rafale, in a swift counterattack; no PAF aircraft damaged.
- Information Minister confirmed ongoing retaliation, while ISPR warned of further response “at a time of Pakistan’s choosing.”
- National Security Council convened in Islamabad; armed forces on high alert with international diplomatic efforts underway.
In a brazen act of aggression that risks plunging South Asia into full-scale war, India launched missile attacks on Pakistani territory shortly after midnight. Pakistan’s military swiftly retaliated, downing three Indian fighter jets, including a state-of-the-art Rafale, in what is now being described by senior officials as the beginning of a new phase of high-intensity conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The strikes, confirmed by the sources in Pakistan’s Army and endorsed by Pakistan’s Federal minister for Defense, targeted the cities of Bahawalpur in Punjab, and Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Three people including a child and a woman have been confirmed . Early reports indicated damage to infrastructure in Bahawalpur city as well. ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in a late-night briefing, called the strikes “unprovoked acts of war” and warned that India had “crossed a red line.”
“We will retaliate — and we already have.
Pakistan Army Retaliated by Downing Five Indian Jets
Living upto its promises, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down five Indian fighter jets including a state of the art Rafale Jet, in separate engagements following this act of naked aggression,” sources in military said. Sources identified the downed aircraft as three Indian Air Force fighter jets near Bhatinda and Akhnoor, and a Rafale aircraft shot down 17 nautical miles southwest of Awantipora. All three crashes were confirmed by Pakistan state broadcaster PTV.
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In one of the most telling signs of the conflict’s seriousness, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is said to be overseeing military operations directly from the National Security Operations Center in Islamabad. Sources close to the security establishment say that a full-spectrum response plan has been activated, with all three branches of the armed forces on high alert. An emergency meeting of the National Security Council is underway, even as military exchanges continue along the Line of Control and working boundary.
Pakistan’s Information minister Confirm Pakistan Army’s Befitting Response
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, in a live interview with Sky News, confirmed that Pakistan’s air defense and fighter squadrons were already engaged in combat when the retaliation began. “We are actively defending our homeland. Two Indian planes have already been shot down, and we are not done yet,” he said, declining to share operational details.
According to senior officials within the Air Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the third Indian jet to be downed — a Rafale — was intercepted by a PAF F-16 patrolling near the western borders. “The kill was clean. The enemy aircraft disintegrated midair after being hit by a precision air-to-air missile. The pilot did not survive,” the source said, requesting anonymity due to the ongoing nature of operations.
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Security sources further confirmed that all PAF aircraft involved in the engagement returned safely to base.
“Contrary to Indian media propaganda, no PAF assets were damaged. Our counter-air missions were successful, and our airspace dominance remains intact,” the source added.
Security experts believe that the timing of the Indian attack is deeply suspicious, coming just weeks before India’s general elections. “This was a politically motivated strike, designed to whip up nationalism inside India at the cost of regional peace,” said Dr. Sameera Nawaz, a national security analyst based in Islamabad. “But New Delhi has underestimated Pakistan’s resolve and military capability.”
Following befitting response by PAF and ground forces , Pakistani officials are now lobbying international allies for support, even as the country’s armed forces prepare for further escalation. The Foreign Office has issued strong condemnations of India’s actions and summoned senior diplomats from the P5 nations to share evidence of the Indian strike.
“Our red lines are clear. We will not allow Indian adventurism to go unanswered. Today, the Indian Air Force learned that lesson the hard way,” said a senior Pakistani diplomat involved in the outreach effort. “This is no longer about Kashmir or surgical strikes. This is war, initiated by India.”
As tensions mount, fears of further escalation loom large. Border villages in Azad Jammu and Kashmir are being evacuated, and the Pakistani military has deployed long-range artillery units closer to forward positions. Missile batteries have also been activated in multiple locations, signaling a potential shift toward broader regional engagement.
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For now, Islamabad insists that its response will remain proportionate but firm.
“We are a peace-loving nation, but not a weak one,” said Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif. “India will face the consequences of its reckless gamble. The choice of where and when we respond next rests solely with us.”
As dawn breaks across Pakistan, the mood is one of unity, resolve, and quiet defiance. The people stand with their armed forces, while the world watches closely, uncertain whether India’s misadventure has opened the gates to a wider war in South Asia.