NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday, an assault its neighbour called a “blatant act of war” as tension spirals between the nuclear-armed rivals after a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir.
WHAT IS OPERATION SINDOOR?
India said its Operation Sindoor struck nine Pakistani sites on Wednesday that provided “terrorist infrastructure” and from which attacks against it were orchestrated. Its military spokesperson said the sites were completely destroyed.
Sindoor, which refers to the red vermilion powder worn by married Hindu women, is an apparent reference to the widows left by the April 22 attack that killed 26 men, most of them Hindu.
Islamabad has said six Pakistani locations, from dams to hydropower projects, were targeted, with two dozen weapon impacts. Its military has vowed to respond to the Indian strikes.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER INDIA’S ATTACK?
A Pakistan military spokesperson told Reuters it shot down five Indian aircraft while they were in Indian airspace, a claim as yet unconfirmed by India.
Four local government sources in Indian Kashmir told Reuters three fighter jets had crashed in separate areas of the Himalayan region during the night, with their pilots admitted to hospital.
The two armies exchanged intense shelling and firing at various points across their de-facto border in Kashmir.
WHAT ABOUT CASUALTIES?
Pakistan said the attack killed 26 civilians and wounded 46 wounded. India said seven civilians were killed and 35 injured in cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops in Kashmir.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON AIRSPACE?
India shut several airports and as a result, airlines Air India, Akasa Air, Indigo and Spicejet cancelled flights.
Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan.
Thai Airways said it would reroute flights to destinations in Europe and South Asia.
Pakistan International Airlines said airborne flights had been diverted to Karachi, while those scheduled placed on hold.
ARE CIVILIANS IMPACTED?
Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab declared a state of emergency, with hospitals and security forces on high alert.
Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, lost power for a while after the explosions.
Schools in much of India’s Jammu and Kashmir were shut on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta and Saad Sayeed; Editing by and Raju Gopalakrishnan and Clarence Fernandez)
