Pakistan has launched a military operation against India after accusing it of firing missiles at three Pakistani airbases on the evening of 9 May.
Pakistani security sources told Radio Mashaal that the operation is codenamed “Bunyanun Marsus” (an Arabic word taken from a Quranic verse that means “strong pillar” – ed.).
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called an emergency meeting of the National Command Authority for 10 May. The body also deals with nuclear arms policy, among other functions.
“U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a conversation with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and urged both sides to find ways to de-escalate,” the U.S. department said in a statement.
Rubio also offered US assistance in initiating “constructive negotiations” to avoid future conflicts, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said a warehouse storing Indian Brahmos missiles was destroyed. The military said “several other targets” were also attacked, including the Pathankot airfield and the Udhampur Air Force Station. Pakistan also said it fired Fatah 1 missiles at two Indian airbases.
The Indian Army called Pakistan’s action “unacceptable”.
“The blatant escalation by Pakistan with drone strikes and other munitions continues along our western borders. In one such incident, several enemy armed drones were seen flying over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar, at around 5 am today,” the Army said. “The enemy drones were instantly shot down and destroyed by our air defence units,” it said.
The new attacks came hours after the Saudi foreign minister left Pakistan. Adel al-Jubeir was in Islamabad to meet Sharif, the statement said. He visited India before landing in Islamabad on 9 May for talks with Pakistani leaders.
Pakistani security sources also claimed that there was a simultaneous cyber attack and power cuts in several cities.
An emergency meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Committee on 7 May ended with a decision that allows the country’s military to respond.
“The Committee calls upon the international community to recognise the gravity of India’s unprovoked illegal actions and hold it accountable for its blatant violations of international norms and laws”, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office.
Hours earlier, Indian troops had struck targets in Pakistan-controlled parts of Kashmir and Pakistan’s Punjab province.
India said it had carried out “precision strikes” against “terrorists” after an attack in Indian-controlled part of Kashmir a fortnight ago that killed 26 tourists, mostly Indian nationals.
India had earlier said two of the three suspects in the attack were Pakistani nationals, but did not provide evidence to support this. Pakistan has denied involvement in the killings.
The Pakistani military said only civilians were killed in the 7 May strikes, citing 26 dead and 46 wounded