- Pakistan’s military said strikes have been launched against Indian military sites as part of operation “Bunyan Marsoos” after three Pakistani airbases were targeted by Indian “air-to-surface missiles”.
- Pakistan Civil Aviation said it is closing its airspace from 3:15am local time (22:15 GMT) on Saturday until noon (07:00 GMT) following the latest attacks.
- Explosions and air raid sirens have been heard across Indian-administered Kashmir and India’s Punjab state as the Indian military said drones were sighted in 26 locations and are being “tracked and engaged”.
- Three people were reported injured in a drone strike on the Indian city of Ferozepur in Punjab state.
- Approximately 50 people have been reported killed so far – 33 of them in Pakistan – since India launched missiles on Wednesday that it said targeted “terrorist camps” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Could India, Pakistan use nuclear weapons? Here’s what their doctrines say
As India and Pakistan escalate shelling and missile attacks, an all-out war between the two sides would be the first ever between nuclear-armed nations.
What are the nuclear arsenals of India and Pakistan like?
And when – according to their nuclear doctrines – could they use nuclear weapons?
Click here for a closer look at their arsenals and the policies that govern their use.
Indian army denounces ‘blatant escalation’ in Pakistan’s deployment of drones
In a statement posted on X, India’s military said it detected “multiple enemy armed drones” flying over the Khasa Cantt military base in the Indian city of Amritsar early on Saturday.
“The hostile drones were instantly engaged and destroyed by our air defence units,” the statement said.
“Pakistan’s blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilians is unacceptable,” it added.
Five killed by Pakistani shelling in Jammu region: Reports
Earlier, we reported that Rajouri district commissioner in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, Raj Kumar Thappa, was killed after the Pakistani military struck his home as part of a spate of shelling targeting Rajouri, Poonch and Jammu districts.
Citing local officials, The New Indian Express and National Herald newspapers now report that two more people – including a two-year-old child – were killed and three others were injured in the attack on Rajouri town.
A 55-year-old woman was also reportedly killed when a mortar shell struck her home in Kanghra-Galhutta village in Poonch district, while a resident of Bidipur Jatta village was killed in the R S Pura sector of Jammu district.
‘Tremendous fighting’ reported in Pakistan’s Sialkot
We are getting reports that in the city of Sialkot, there’s been tremendous fighting near the disputed border.
In the last 48 hours, Pakistan has also reported that it has downed at least 77 drones.
Residents in Lahore and Karachi have also reported hearing sounds of explosions in the last few hours near densely populated areas.
This is where the concern is, that it is happening in civilian areas in both countries.
There have been efforts to find a way to de-escalate the situation, including efforts by the US secretary of state, as well as the Iranian and Saudi Arabian foreign ministers.
But Pakistan said that it has to respond and that it cannot sit silent amid the attack.
First all-out war between nuclear-armed nations?
So far, India and Pakistan have used missiles, drones, diplomacy and information to battle each other since the April 22 attack on Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed.
But as they slide rapidly towards a full-blown military conflict, a dangerous reality stares not just at the 1.6 billion people of the two countries, but at the world: If an all-out war were to break out between them, it would be the first ever between two nuclear-armed nations.
India and Pakistan fought in the icy heights of Kargil in 1999, a year after the South Asian neighbours became nuclear states.
But that was a contained war: Already, in the past three days, India and Pakistan each claim to have hit much wider swaths of the other’s territory than was the case in 1999.
The last full war between India and Pakistan was in 1971, before either had tested a nuclear device.
And though the US and the Soviet Union were locked in the Cold War for more than 40 years, they carefully managed their tensions, including through a series of proxy wars in third countries, to avoid engaging in direct military conflict.
Pakistan state media claims Indian websites hacked as part of ‘Bunyan Marsoos’
Earlier, we reported that Pakistan claimed it had hit India’s power grid with a cyberattack launched as part of operation Bunyan Marsoos.
Pakistan’s state-run PTV News now reports that several sensitive Indian online domains have been targeted as part of that cyberattack, including websites belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Border Security Forces, and the Crime Research Investigation Agency.
This claim could not be independently verified. The Indian government has yet to comment.
India and Pakistan have not declared war, but ‘effectively at war’: Analyst
Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst, spoke to Al Jazeera a little earlier about the overnight and early-morning fighting between India and Pakistan.
This is some of what he said.
- They have not formally declared war, but they are effectively at war. There have been increasing hostilities, and we see that after this series of strikes from India, Pakistan responded almost instantaneously, and they continue to fight.
- My understanding is that the air forces are facing off with a dog fight. I think that we are seeing India and Pakistan, two nuclear states, at war for the first time since 1999.
- The fog of war is very deep this time compared to previous India-Pakistan crises, and one reason for that is because of social media and disinformation and how that affects the fog of war. It does seem that you have a lot of accusations and then denials and so on from each side.
- So it is really hard to know exactly what is going on. And there has been a lot of allegations about what has been going on in the last few hours, what’s happened and what has not happened. But what we do know is that both countries have attacked each other’s military facilities and that is very escalatory for sure.
Chief minister of India-administered Kashmir reports death of district official
In a statement posted on X, Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, said that Raj Kumar Thapa, a district commissioner in Rajouri town, was killed after his residence was hit by shelling from Pakistan.
“I’ve no words to express my shock and sadness at this terrible loss of life,” Abdullah wrote.
Shelling and intense fire have been reported since early on Saturday along the Line of Control dividing India and Pakistan.
AMore on huge explosion heard in Indian-administered Kashmir
Journalist Umar Mehraj, who is reporting from Srinagar, told Al Jazeera that at approximately 5:45am local time (23:45 GMT), residents heard a loud explosion in the Indian-administered Kashmir near the Line of Control (LoC).
“It is unclear whether the strike was fired by Pakistan,” he said, but added that the explosion was “louder and more intense” than previously reported blasts on Friday.
“This is one of the most intense clashes we have seen in recent years,” he said.
Mehraj also reported of power outages and the blaring of air raid sirens in the area following the explosion.
Authorities announce temporary closure of airports across north, west India
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) announcing the temporary closure of 32 airports across the country’s north and west for all civil flight operations.
The closures will be in effect from May 9-14 and impacted airports span the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat, as well as Indian-administered Kashmir.
A full list of impacted airports can be found at this link.
‘Situation extremely critical’ as Pakistan and India trade heavy fire
It was after the attack on the airfield, which shook the city of Rawalpindi in the early hours of the morning – and after several days of sending suicide drones all over Pakistan – that the Indian air force attacked these airbases with standoff munitions, which means they must have fired these from a distance.
After that, Pakistan launched a massive retaliation.
As we speak, we are being told that drones are still hovering over Delhi.
Pakistan has struck several major front-line military bases. They are claiming that they have destroyed a missile battery, they’ve destroyed several airfields, and that they’ve attacked artillery gun positions.
And the Pakistani prime minister has called a meeting of the National Command Authority. Now this is a step higher because this deals with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, and therefore, the situation is extremely critical.
Islamabad says India’s suspension of Indus Waters Treaty an ‘attack’ on Pakistan’s people
We have reported extensively on the decision of India to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty amid the escalating conflict with neighbouring Pakistan.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan has issued further comments on the development, calling it an “attack” on Pakistan’s people.
The spokesman said that from Islamabad’s perspective, the treaty “remains fully in force and is binding on the parties”, according to a transcript of a briefing published on the ministry’s website.
“There is no provision in the treaty to hold it in abeyance,” the spokesman added.
“Millions of people are dependent on the water being regulated by this treaty. The Indian decision is equivalent to an attack on the people of Pakistan and its economy.”
Can India and Pakistan avoid a fourth war over Kashmir?
It’s the biggest military escalation between India and Pakistan in decades. Missile strikes, drone attacks, and deadly shelling have struck on both sides of the border in the disputed region of Kashmir.
With dozens of civilians dead and both countries trading blame, can the two nuclear powers contain the dispute?
Pakistan says Indian military sites targeted
Right after morning prayers here in Pakistan, the Pakistan military launched its counteroffensive against India, codenamed “Bunyan Marsoos”, after a verse in the Quran.
It has targeted a number of sites across India. These are all military sites, including one missile station as well as two airfields.
According to military sources, all of these locations have been involved in targeting Pakistani civilians, places of worship, as well as military installations.
Pakistan had been saying that it did not want to go to this level, but it was forced to because after the May 7 attacks, Pakistan immediately responded, saying that it reserved the right … to respond and protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Pakistani PM calls National Command Authority meeting
Pakistan’s military has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the country’s top civilian and military body, which takes key national security decisions, including those related to the country’s nuclear arsenal.
We will bring you more information when we have it.
‘Intense night’ as Pakistan launches strikes on Indian targets
An intense night where multiple Pakistani airbases came under attack.
The Pakistani military says that all of those were thwarted.
But it was not just those aerial attacks. Across the Line of Control in Kashmir, in Sialkot, and across various sectors in Pakistan, there was intense firing and shelling, and in the past few minutes, we’ve heard from other cities as well, including Lahore and Karachi, where multiple explosions have been heard.
In the past few days, Pakistan said it had downed more than 80 drones that were fired into its territory by India.
So, all in all, it appears that all of these tensions that had been ratcheting up have finally culminated in this attack by Pakistan.
Pakistan said that it reserved the right to attack India, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, because India carried out, according to Pakistani officials, an unprovoked attack and did not provide any proof for its allegations that Pakistan was in any way involved in terrorist activities on Indian soil.
What are BrahMos missiles?
We have been reporting on Pakistan’s operation Bunyan Marsoos, which has targeted several military sites in India and Indian-administered Kashmir over recent hours.
One of the attacks has reportedly hit a BrahMos missile storage site in Beas in India’s Punjab province.
BrahMos missiles are supersonic missiles with a top range of 800km (497 miles) that can be launched from a range of military vehicles, including submarines, ships and fighter aircraft.
They were developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Russian rocket design bureau, NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
The name is a portmanteau of the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia.
Pakistan’s operation targets Indian missile storage sites
According to the Pakistani military, there have been multiple assets which have been engaged, including its Fatah-1 medium-range missile system, which is being used to target those military facilities.
Pakistan said it was bound to carry out this attack after India carried out the attack on May 7 and killed its civilians and citizens.
All those sites that have been targeted are the ones that Pakistan said have been used to put targets on the backs of its citizens; India targeted mosques, places of worship, as well as military sites.
Pakistani state media claims India’s power grid hit by cyberattack
State-run outlet PTV News is now reporting that India’s power grid has been hit by a cyberattack launched as part of Operation Bunyan Marsoos.
This claim could not be independently verified. The Indian government has yet to comment.
We will bring you more information when we have it.
Sirens, loud explosion reported in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir
India’s ANI news agency is reporting an explosion in the Dibber area of Udhampur, in Indian-administered Kashmir.
A video clip posted by ANI showed smoke rising over the area where the reported explosion happened.
The report added that sirens were also activated following the incident, which happened just minutes after Pakistan’s military announced the launch of its retaliatory military operation against India.
More on Pakistan’s military operation against India
In a post on X, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Osama Bin Javaid said, according to military sources, Pakistan is attacking “multiple targets” across India.
Pakistan launched its operation right after dawn prayers on Saturday, he said.
G7 warns India-Pakistan military escalation a ‘serious threat’ to regional stability
The Group of Seven (G7) major countries urged maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan and called on them to engage in direct dialogue amid rising hostilities between the two nuclear-armed Asian neighbours.
“Further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability. We are deeply concerned for the safety of civilians on both sides,” according to the statement, which was posted in the official website of the government of Canada, a member of the G7.
“We continue to monitor events closely and express our support for a swift and lasting diplomatic resolution.”
Indian army postpones press conference due to attacks: Report
We have been reporting on “Bunyan Marsoos”, a military operation launched by Pakistan’s armed forces over the past hour targeting military sites in India and Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistani news outlet Samaa TV, citing security sources, now reports that the Indian Army has postponed a planned news conference due to the strikes. The same outlet reports that Pakistan has fired at least three “Fatah 2” missiles at Indian targets.
What does Pakistan military’s Operation Bunyan Marsoos mean?
The operation launched by Pakistan against India is part of a verse from Islam’s holy book, the Quran, which reads: Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.
Bunyan Marsoos is an Arabic phrase which directly translates into “a structure made of lead”.
In Quranic context, the phrase is used to describe the unity and strength of followers of Islam who are fighting for the cause of Allah.
New Delhi airport says ‘changing airspace conditions’ could impact operation
Earlier, we reported about Pakistan’s decision to close the country’s airspace due to the current tensions with India.
Meanwhile, in India, the operator of New Delhi airport said “changing airspace conditions and increased security measures” could affect some flights and length of security checks.
The advisory asked passengers to arrive early and cooperate with airline and security staff at the airport.
Pakistan responds to Indian attacks, launches operation ‘Bunyan Marsoos’
The military’s media wing – Inter-Services Public Relations – has announced that Pakistan has officially launched its retaliatory strikes against “Indian aggression”, codenamed operation Bunyan Marsoos.
Military sources have claimed that Pakistan has targeted airbase in Indian city of Udhampur and an air field in Pathankot, both of which were “destroyed”.
Security sources further claimed that a BrahMos missile’s storage site in Beas, in India’s Punjab province, was also hit.
More on the reported Indian missile attacks on Pakistani airbases
Pakistani army spokesman Ahmad Sharif said in a televised address that all Pakistani air force assets were safe after he claimed India launched missile attacks on three airbases.
He said that India targeted the Nur Khan airbase in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Murid airbase in Chakwal city and Rafiqui airbase in the Jhang district in the eastern Punjab province.
Sharif said some of the missiles fired by India also went into Afghanistan, but did not yet provide evidence, which he claimed Pakistan possessed.
He blamed the “blatant acts of aggression” on the “paranoia within the Indian mindset”.
Pakistan launches strikes against India: State media
Citing security sources, Pakistan’s state-run news outlet PTV News has reported that Pakistan has “launched a counter-offensive against Indian aggression”, without providing more details.
We will bring you more information when we have it.
A recap of recent developments
As tensions soar between India and Pakistan, misinformation and unconfirmed rumours of attacks are rife on both sides of the Radcliffe Line.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Pakistan’s military media wing said Indian fighter jets fired air-to-surface missiles at three of its airbases, but added that “all assets” are safe.
- In light of the attacks, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation agency has closed its airspace for more than eight hours, with it slated to reopen at 12pm (07:00 GMT) local time on Saturday.
- The Reuters news agency, citing witnesses, has reported that four blasts have been heard in Amritsar, a city in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab near the Pakistan border.
- Multiple blasts have also been heard in Jammu city in Indian-administered Kashmir for a second day, and projectiles have been seen in the night sky after a blackout.
- Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has slammed Pakistan’s “farcical” response after it again denied launching attacks across the border and claimed India fired ballistic missiles that fell on its own territory.
Welcome to our coverage
Hello, and thank you for joining our coverage of the fighting between India and Pakistan after the deadly attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.
Follow this page for up-to-the-minute updates on the latest developments, along with context and analysis.