Pakistan calls Indian missile strikes ‘Act of War’

India launched missile attacks on several sites in Pakistan-administered territory early Wednesday, killing at least eight people, including a child, in what Pakistan’s leadership has termed an “act of war.”

According to Indian authorities, the strikes targeted infrastructure allegedly used by militants linked to the recent massacre of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Indian army reported that three civilians were killed in Pakistani shelling in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Tensions have sharply escalated between the nuclear-armed rivals following the deadly attack in Kashmir, which India blames on Pakistan-backed militants—an allegation Islamabad has firmly denied.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the strikes, calling them “cowardly” and vowed retaliation. “Pakistan reserves the right to respond forcefully to this act of war, and a strong response is already underway,” he stated. A meeting of the National Security Committee was convened for Wednesday morning.

Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, spokesperson for Pakistan’s military, said India launched missiles at six locations in Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing eight and injuring 38 others. One strike hit a mosque in Bahawalpur, killing a child. Other areas struck include Muridke, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad.

India’s Defence Ministry claimed nine locations linked to terrorist activity were hit in a “measured, focused and non-escalatory” operation named “Sindoor.” It emphasized that no Pakistani military installations were targeted.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, intense cross-border shelling continued along the Line of Control, with the Indian army accusing Pakistani troops of unprovoked firing that killed three civilians. Separately, an aircraft crash was reported in southern Wuyan village, where a plane fell on a school building, sparking fires and panic.

Pakistan said its air force had downed five Indian jets in retaliation, though India has yet to comment on that claim.

The missile attacks triggered widespread panic, with hospitals in affected Pakistani regions placed on emergency alert and schools shut down. Authorities in Muzaffarabad reported major damage, blackouts, and people fleeing their homes fearing more strikes.

The UN called for restraint, warning of the grave risks of further escalation between the two nuclear powers. “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Following the strikes, India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval reportedly spoke with U.S. officials, including NSA Marco Rubio and Secretary of State, to share what India described as “credible intelligence” linking Pakistan-based groups to the Kashmir attack, reports UNB.