The 2025 India–Pakistan conflict was a brief armed conflict between

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

that began on 7 May 2025, after India launched missile strikes on Pakistan, in a military campaign codenamed Operation Sindoor. India said that the operation was in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025 in which 26 civilians were killed. India accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism, which Pakistan denied. On 7 May, India launched Operation Sindoor with missile strikes on terrorism-related infrastructure facilities of Pakistan-based militant groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and

Lashkar-e-Taiba Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is a Pakistani Islamism, Islamist militant organization driven by a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist ideology. The organisation's primary stated objective is to merge the whole of Kashmir with Pakistan. It was founded in 19 ...

in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir ( ), is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger ...

, and said that no Pakistani military or civilian facilities were targeted. According to Pakistan, the Indian strikes hit civilian areas, including mosques, and resulted in civilian casualties. Following these strikes, there were border skirmishes and drone strikes between the two countries. Pakistan's army retaliated on 7 May, by launching a blitz of mortar shells on

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

, particularly Poonch, killing civilians, and damaging homes and religious sites. This conflict marked the first drone battle between the two nuclear-armed nations. In the early hours of 10 May, India accused Pakistan of launching missile attacks on Indian air bases including the Sirsa air baseVarinder Bhatia
Panic in the skies, rumour on the ground: When a missile was intercepted over Sirsa
The Indian Express, 11 May 2025. while Pakistan accused India of launching attacks on several Pakistan air bases, including Nur Khan, Rafiqi, and Murid. As conflict escalated on 10 May, Pakistan launched its Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, in which it said it had targeted several Indian military bases. After the four-day military conflict, both India and Pakistan announced that a ceasefire had been agreed after a hotline communication between their DGMOs (Directors General of Military Operations) on 10 May 2025.

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

Vice President

JD Vance James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman, August2, 1984) is an American politician, author, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran who is the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...

and Secretary of State

Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving since 2025 as the 72nd United States Secretary of State, United States secretary of state. A member of the Republican Party (United States) , Rep ...

held extensive correspondence with both Indian and Pakistani officials during the negotiations. The ceasefire has been holding with resumed commercial flights and normalcy reported from both countries.

Background

The

Kashmir conflict The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict over the Kashmir region, primarily between India and Pakistan, and also between China and India in the northeastern portion of the region. The conflict started after the partition of India in 1 ...

, ongoing since 1947, has fuelled multiple wars and skirmishes between India and Pakistan over the disputed region. On 22 April 2025, a terrorist attack by militants near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir killed 26 civilians, mostly

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

tourists. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based, UN-designated, terrorist group

, initially claimed responsibility for the attack, which it later retracted. India announced a series of retaliatory measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the

Indus Waters Treaty The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, arranged and negotiated by the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries. It was signed in Karachi on 19 September 196 ...

, prompting responsive measures and leading to a diplomatic crisis and border skirmishes.

Timeline

7 May

On 7 May 2025, India announced that it had launched missile and air strikes, codenamed ''Operation Sindoor'', targeting nine sites across Pakistani-administered

and Pakistan's Punjab province. The targets in Pakistan-administered Kashmir were targeted by Indian Army's artillery regiment using precision long-range Excalibur rounds and

loitering munition A loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone, kamikaze drone, or exploding drone, is a weapon with a warhead that is typically designed to Loiter (aeronautics), loiter until a target is designated, then crash into it.loitering munition A loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone, kamikaze drone, or exploding drone, is a weapon with a warhead that is typically designed to Loiter (aeronautics), loiter until a target is designated, then crash into it. The attacks on targets in Pakistani Punjab were carried out by the Indian Air Force. According to sources cited by ''

India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...

'', Rafale jets were employed, equipped with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs. According to a working paper written by Christopher Clary for ''

Stimson Center The Stimson Center is a 501(c)(3) organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that analyzes issues related to global peace. It is named after the American lawyer and politician Henry L. Stimson. Stimson analyzes issues such as nuclear proli ...

'',

BrahMos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10) The

Indian government The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territor ...

described the strikes as "focused, measured, and non-escalatory". Indian military spokespeople said that the missile strikes targeted infrastructure linked to the terrorist groups

(LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM), and that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted, with the locations selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure. The missile strikes targeted locations including Subhan Allah Mosque in

Bahawalpur Bahawalpur (Urdu: ; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 13th largest city of Pakistan and List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, 8th most populous city of Punjab. Bahawalpur is the capital of Bahawalpur Division. Founded in ...

(near Ahmedpur East) and Markaz-e-Taiba in

Muridke Muridke (Punjabi language, Punjabi / ), is a city and headquarters of Muridke Tehsil of Sheikhupura District in Punjab Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. It is the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 37th largest city of Pakistan by population. M ...

, part of the headquarters of JeM and the headquarters of LeT respectively and alleged by India to be their terrorist training camps. Other sites claimed to have been targetted by India included Abbas Mosque (associated with the JeM) in Kotli District, Shawai Nala camp (associated with the LeT) and Syedna Bilal Mosque (associated with the JeM) in Muzaffarabad, a site in Gulpur, Kotli District (alleged by the Indian government to be a LeT and HuM camp); Markaz Ahl-e-Hadith in Barnala,

Bhimber District Bhimber District () is a district of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir in the Kashmir#Dispute, disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is support ...

(alleged by the Indian government to be associated with the LeT); a site in Mehmona Joya, Kotli Loharan West,

Sialkot District Sialkot District ( Punjabi and ), is one of the districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located in the northeast of the province. The city of Sialkot is the capital of the district. The Sialkot Cantonment was established in 1852 ...

(alleged by the Indian government to be a HuM camp); and a site in Tera Katlan in Sarjal, Shakargarh Tehsil,

(alleged by the Indian government to be a JeM camp). India later showed satellite images purportedly showing damage at the targetted sites. According to a Pakistani security source, approximately 125 Indian and Pakistani fighter jets engaged in the aerial

dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an air combat manoeuvring, aerial battle between fighter aircraft that is conducted at close range. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat manoeuvring (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requir ...

after the Indian air strikes on 7 May, exchanging long-range missile fire in a confrontation that lasted over an hour. According to ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'', neither Pakistani nor Indian aircraft crossed the border, engaging instead in a "stand-off" conflict at a distance of more than 100km at times. Pakistan claimed that during the dogfight it had downed five Indian aircraft including three Rafales, one

MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...

, one

SU-30MKI The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for th ...

and a

Heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...

. On 15 May, Pakistani prime minister

Shehbaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif (born 23 September 1951) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who has served as the 20th Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan since March 2024, having previously been in the role between Ap ...

claimed that Pakistan shot down six Indian fighter jets, the sixth being a

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', mean ...

2000. On 28 May, he again said that six Indian fighter jets were downed but said that four of these were Rafale, one MiG-29 and one "another plane". On 6 June, the

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

(PAF) said that No. 15 Squadron, also known as the ''Cobras'', was responsible for shooting down six

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

(IAF) fighter jets. Operating out of PAF Base Minhas in Kamra with J-10C multirole fighters equipped with

PL-15 The PL-15 ( zh, s=霹雳-15, p=Pī Lì-Yāo Wǔ, l=Thunderbolt-15, NATO reporting name: CH-AA-10 Abaddon) is an active radar homing, active radar-guided long-range beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of Chi ...

beyond-visual-range missiles, the squadron claimed to have downed three Rafales, a MiG-29, a Mirage-2000, and a Su-30MKI. According to ''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the diffuse sky radiation, appearance of indirect sunlight being Rayleigh scattering, scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc ha ...

'', the ''Cobras'' deployed 18 out of the 20 aircraft assigned to the squadron for the intercept operation on 7 May. A French intelligence official told

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

that an Indian Rafale was downed by Pakistan, though the French military did not comment. According to a working paper written by Christopher Clary for ''

'', there was credible evidence that up to four Indian aircraft may indeed have been shot down during the encounter.

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

reported that unnamed Indian government sources said that three fighter jets had crashed in India due to unknown causes. On 8 May, an unnamed US official told Reuters that he assessed with "high confidence" that Pakistani J-10 aircraft had shot down at least two Indian fighter jets; a second official assessed one of the downed jets to be a

Dassault Rafale The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", or "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French Twinjet, twin-engine, Canard (aeronautics), canard delta wing, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft designed and ...

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

later said that it had identified 3 crash sites in India from 7 May, identifying two of them as belonging to an Indian Dassault Rafale and Dassault Mirage 2000. On 9 May, local government sources in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir told Reuters that three fighter jets crashed in India on 7 May with three pilots being hospitalized. On 11 May, while responding to a question on whether the force suffered losses, the Indian Airforce said that "losses are a part of combat" but declined to provide information on whether any losses had occurred. Pakistan confirmed strikes on six of the sites targetted by India, denying the strikes at Barnala and Gulpur in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, but said these were civilian areas including mosques and residential areas and were not terrorist facilities. The Pakistani government condemned them as an "act of war" that resulted in civilian casualties. Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...

to coordinate retaliatory strikes. The NSC declared that Pakistan "reserves the right to respond, in self-defence, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing." Sharif gave the Pakistani army, under Asim Munir, the right to respond in any way needed. According to India, Pakistani cross-border

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

shelling and small arms firing increased following the Indian attacks, including in the regions of Poonch,

Rajouri Rajouri or Rajauri (; ; ) is a city in the Rajouri district in the Jammu division of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is located about from Srinagar and from Jammu (city), Jammu city on ...

, Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri and

Akhnoor Akhnoor is a town and municipal committee, near city of Jammu in Jammu district of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies 28 km away from Jammu city. Akhnoor is on the bank of the Chenab River, just before it enters the ...

, located in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani shelling of Poonch town and its vicinity killed at least 11 people and damaged an Islamic school along with numerous homes. According to ''

The News Minute ''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Vignesh Vellore who is also the current CEO in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, ...

'', the casualties included a Sikh ragi. Pakistan said that the Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Plant had been damaged by Indian shelling following the initial Indian strikes.

8 May

On 8 May, India said that Pakistan had launched drone and missile strikes on several Indian cities, including

Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...

, and that India negated these strikes by the

S-400 missile system The S-400 Triumf ( – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S ...

at Adampur Air Force Station, marking India's first combat use of the missile system. Pakistan denied launching drone and missile strikes on India. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar claimed that the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

had intentionally carried out a

false flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...

attack on the Indian city of Amritsar, blaming it on Pakistan in order to generate domestic support. The Pakistani military spokesperson also claimed that Indian drones headed towards Nankana Sahib were brought down. The claim was denied by India and described as false by Indian media. Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri dismissed these as a "deranged fantasy" and an attempt by Pakistan to hide its own actions. The Indian Armed Forces said that in response to the Pakistani attack, they had carried out SEAD/DEAD operations, neutralizing Pakistani air defence systems in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. Pakistani authorities said that several Indian drones intruded in Pakistani airspace, and 12 Indian drones were shot down. As per Pakistan, these drones were sent into nine different locations including the cities of

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

and Lahore, and one of the drones struck a Pakistani military facility near Lahore. The Pakistani military later claimed to have shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop loitering munitions in its territory. India admitted to one being taken down. A drone also landed near the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium complex before the start of a

Pakistan Super League The Pakistan Super League (PSL), also known as HBL PSL for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Pakistan, organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Founded by the PCB in 2015, the league features six city-bas ...

match, prompting the

Pakistan Cricket Board The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), formerly known as Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP), is a sports governing body for cricket in Pakistan responsible for controlling and organising all tours and matches undertaken by the Pakistan ...

to postpone the game. Later that day, India said that Pakistan had launched airstrikes directed in and around Jammu district including the

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

and the

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. All of the eight Pakistani missiles were claimed to have been intercepted by the S-400 missile system. Reportedly, multiple explosions were heard in Jammu along with an explosion in

Jaisalmer Jaisalmer , nicknamed ''The Golden city'', is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur, in the heart of the Thar Desert. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer district ...

, where drones and fighter jets were also reported. India later said that, these attacks involved 300-400 Turkish-Asisguard Songar drones targeting 36 sites, including civilian and military infrastructure. India also reported cross border firing by heavy calibre artillery guns along the

Line of Control The Line of Control (LoC) is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistanicontrolled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but ser ...

(LoC). Reports termed this conflict as the "first drone war" between the "nuclear-armed neighbours" of South Asia;

9 May

The

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

claimed to have neutralised 77 Indian drones since 6 May. Exchanges of fire had stopped in the early morning. However, clashes restarted after "13 hours of relative calm". Exchanges of artillery fire began in Kashmir, including in, Kupwara, Poonch, Uri, and

Samba Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...

along the LoC. According to the Indian Army, drones were reportedly sighted in 26 locations across a wide area from Baramulla in the north to Bhuj in the south, with at least one armed drone in

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

; however, Pakistani officials dismissed the Indian accusations as "baseless and misleading", denying any offensive actions. India claimed that a Pakistani army post along the LoC was destroyed. During a press briefing, Pakistan once again denied carrying out missile and drone strikes on Indian military installations and proposed a neutral third-party investigation into the 2025 Pahalgam attack, which it claimed was ignored by India. On 9 May, reports indicated that India had repositioned its Western Fleet, including an aircraft carrier, destroyers, frigates and anti-submarine warfare ships, in the northern Arabian Sea. According to an Indian defence source cited by ''

'', the fleet was brought within operational range of

, Pakistan's largest port city and the headquarters of the

Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...

10 May

On 10 May, India accused Pakistan of launching missile attacks on air bases in

in the early hours, including the Pathankot military airfield. According the ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...

'', a Fatah-II long-range missile was intercepted near the Sirsa Air Force Station shortly after midnight. At 1:45 am, Pakistan Army spokesman made a unscheduled broadcast claiming that India fired ballistic missiles from Adampur that fell into its own territory, saying that they struck Adampur and Amritsar, and later (around 3:20 am) added that India had targeted

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

with missile and drone strikes. India denied the allegations, calling the claims "ludicrous" and "frivolous". The

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

government of Afghanistan also denied Pakistani claims of Indian attacks on Afghanistan. It was termed a "bizarre and unsubstantiated claim" by Clary. At 2:09 am, Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, considered a strategic target by India, was hit by an Indian missile. India said the next morning that it had launched attacks on Pakistan's air bases in response to the drone and missile attacks along India's western sector. It described them as precision attacks on identified military targets. It said

bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, and Rahim Yar Khan Airport as having been targeted. The strikes also targeted military sites in

Sukkur Sukkur is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh along the western bank of the Indus River, directly across from the historic city of Rohri. Sukkur is the List of cities in Sindh by population, third largest city in Sindh after Karachi and H ...

and Chunian, a radar installation in Pasrur, and the Sialkot aviation base. India also said that it had damaged air bases at Skardu,

Sargodha Sargodha (Punjabi language, Punjabi/; ; ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Central Punjab, central Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 11th most populous city and ...

, Jacobabad, and Bholari in Pakistan. Around 3:20 am, Pakistan denied initiating hostilities, instead alleging that India had first fired air-to-surface missiles using fighter jets at military bases — Nur Khan, Rafiqui, and Murid. Pakistan said that all

(PAF) assets at targeted bases remained safe. The Sheikh Zayed International Airport in

Rahim Yar Khan Rahim Yar Khan (; ) is a city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. It is the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 21st most populous city in Pakistan and is the capital of the Rahim Yar Khan District. The city's administration is div ...

was targeted and suffered structural damage. The airport was named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and is regarded as a symbol of Pak-UAE friendship. Although commercial flights have been suspended since 2023, the airport was occasionally used by members of the House of Nahyan via the Royal Lounge, which was among the facilities destroyed in the attack.The Pakistan military later confirmed that six of its airmen were killed during the Indian air strikes including 5 deaths at Bholari and one at Sargodha;

Chief Minister of Sindh The chief minister of Sindh (, —), is the elected head of government of Sindh and serves alongside the Chief Secretary. Murad Ali Shah is the current Chief Minister of Sindh, serving since 26 February 2024. The chief minister is the head of ...

Murad Ali Shah Sayyid, Syed Murad Ali Shah (; born 8 November 1962) is a Pakistani politician and structural engineer who is currently serving as the Chief Minister of Sindh province of Pakistan and a member of the Sindh Assembly. It is his third term as Chi ...

, also later said that nine personnel injured in Indian attacks Shortly after the Indian missile strikes, Pakistan launched a retaliatory operation, codenamed ''Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos''. It claimed to have struck and caused major damage to 26 military targets, including 15 air bases of Suratgarh, Sirsa, Naliya, Adampur,

Bhatinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India, Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda district. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa (Punjab), Malwa Region, west of the capital city o ...

, Barnala, Halwara, Awantipur,

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

, Udhampur, Mamoon,

Ambala Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab (India), Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala ...

and Pathankot. It further said that the BrahMos storage facilities at Beas and

Nagrota Nagrota is a town located in the Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is located on National highway 44 between Jammu city and Udhampur. It is situated on the bank of River Tawi. Nagrota along with Kashmiri Pandit Migrant town ...

were destroyed, and that two S-400 systems at Adampur and Bhuj were neutralised by the Pakistan Air Force. Pakistan said that military logistics and support sites such as the Field Supply Depot in Uri and Radar Station in Poonch were targeted, and command headquarters such as 10 Brigade and 80 Brigade at KG Top and Nowshera, as well as proxy training and intelligence fusion facilities in

and Nowshera, were destroyed. Pakistan further said that Indian military elements across the LoC, including headquarters, logistic bases, artillery positions, and posts, were heavily damaged. It said that its drones flew over major Indian cities and sensitive political and military sites, including

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

. Additionally, Pakistan reported a spike in terrorism in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...

and

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

, which it claimed was sponsored by India. Pakistani state media said that Pakistan launched a

cyberattack A cyberattack (or cyber attack) occurs when there is an unauthorized action against computer infrastructure that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of its content. The rising dependence on increasingly complex and inte ...

as a part of the operation, targeting Indian military satellites and government websites. Pakistan shut down its air space later in the day. The

Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Cabinet of Pakistan, cabinet, desp ...

later said in his speech on the Independence Day of Azerbaijan that the operation had already been initially planned for 4:30 am in the morning but India attacked before that time. India denied damage to its airbases, including Sirsa and Suratgarh Air Force Stations, and rejected claims regarding the destruction of its S-400 and BrahMos systems calling it a "malicious misinformation campaign". It released time-stamped images of the targets as evidence, and reported minor damage to its airbases in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj; the death of an Indian Air Force soldier at Udhampur was also confirmed. That the extent of damage to the Indian airstrips was minimal was further confirmed through commercial imagery obtained by

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

. The Indian Army released images of what it said were debris of a Baykar YIHA III

loitering munition A loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone, kamikaze drone, or exploding drone, is a weapon with a warhead that is typically designed to Loiter (aeronautics), loiter until a target is designated, then crash into it.Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...

at around 5 am. India later said that over 600 Pakistani loitering munitions, the Baykar YIHA, and UCAVs, the Asisguard Songar, were shot down and several

missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

s were intercepted. Concurrently with the missile strikes, heavy fighting took place at the LoC near

Sialkot Sialkot (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of the Sialkot District and the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 12th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined ...

and

. India's military said that Pakistan's retaliatory shelling targeted civilian areas killing at least five people, with drones targeting a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

in Jammu. Analyst Michael Kugelman posited that the two countries were now "effectively at war"; but neither side had mobilized ground forces, according to a former Indian diplomat. At 6:55 am,

PTV News PTV News HD is a 24-hour Urdu News channel owned by the Pakistan Television Corporation. It also broadcast as Terrestrial television. PTV News is a cable and satellite news channel launched in the face of tough international competition. Its ...

reported that prime minister Shehbaz Sharif had called a meeting of the National Command Authority, responsible for the country's nuclear weapons command and control through its secretariat - the Strategic Plans Division. Pakistan's

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Khwaja Asif later denied that such a meeting took place or was scheduled. A ceasefire began at 17:00 ( IST)/16:30 ( PKT). It was first announced by

US President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

on social media, prior to the official statements by the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers. After the ceasefire, there were reports of explosions in the cities of

and Jammu according to authorities, residents and

witnesses. Both sides claimed victory after the ceasefire. Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif designated 16 May to be celebrated as ''Youm-e-Tashakur'' ('Day of Gratitude') in honour of its armed forces.

Ceasefire

A fragile ceasefire was achieved around midday on Saturday, 10 May, with the intervention of the United States. The US grew concerned with the possibility of the conflict turning nuclear, and the Secretary of State

started making calls from 4:00 PKT. He spoke to Pakistan's Army chief Asim Munir, National Security Advisor Asim Malik and

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

J. D. Vance was in touch with the Indian authorities, including

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...

. Interventions were also made by Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE and the UK. The Indian and Pakistani heads of military operations spoke on phone at 2:30 pm for the first time since the conflict broke out.

Agreement

Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri and the Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that both militaries agreed to a full ceasefire and that hostilities would end as of 5:00 p.m. IST/4:30 pm PKT (11:30 GMT). Dar stated that 36 countries helped broker the truce. However, an Indian official told ''

Agence France Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...

'' that the ceasefire was negotiated bilaterally in the sense that "stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan was worked out directly between the two countries". United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that both nations would discuss "a broad set of issues at a neutral site" and that he and Vice President JD Vance had extensively corresponded with senior officials on both sides. Hours later, following ceasefire violations, Indian officials had not yet voiced readiness for talks.

US president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...

made a post on social media about the ceasefire around late noon IST/PKT, prior to the official announcements by the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers. Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif stated that Trump had played a "pivotal and paramount role" in facilitating the truce along with representatives of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, the UK, UN, and China. Thanking the heads of India and Pakistan, President Trump vowed to enhance trade "substantially" with both nations. Following the agreement, Pakistan reopened its airspace to commercial flights. Military hotlines between the two states were activated.

Accusations of violations

10 May: Minutes after the ceasefire announcement, loud explosions were heard and projectiles were seen in the sky over the cities of

and

in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Late on 10 May, Misri stated that there had been violations of the ceasefire agreement, citing cross-border firing and sightings of Pakistani drones over Srinagar and Punjab, and called on Pakistani authorities to "address heviolations". Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also reported explosions in Srinagar, expressing concern over the apparent collapse of the ceasefire. Pakistani Information Minister Atta Tarar denied Indian claims that Pakistan had violated the ceasefire, calling reports by the Indian media as "baseless". Pakistan later also accused India of committing ceasefire violations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. By 11 May, reports suggested that "serious violations" of the truce had ceased, and that the situation had stabilized in many cities on the Indian side of the LoC. Businesses reopened in Srinagar as calm returned. In India,

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

Harsh Sanghavi announced that a blackout would be implemented in the

Kutch district Kutch district (), officially spelled Kachchh is a district of Gujarat state in western India, with its headquarters (capital) at Bhuj. Covering an area of 45,674 km2, it is the largest district of India. The area of Kutch is larger than ...

after drones were spotted in the sky. In Pakistan, civilians in

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

heard anti-aircraft gunfire after drones were spotted in the sky. 12 May: Indian media claimed that "suspected Pakistani drones" were detected and engaged in the

district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Blackouts were imposed in several border towns including

as a precautionary measure. After midnight, the Indian Army said, "no drone activity has been detected recently, and the ceasefire situation prevails."

Aerial strikes and skirmishes

Initial strikes

On 7 May 2025, India launched missile and air strikes on nine alleged "militant camps" in both

and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes, lasted just 25 minutes between 01:05 and 01:30 India time (19:35 and 20:00 GMT on Tuesday). Satellite images released after launching the strikes showed the extent of damage in Pakistan. Indian jets have previously bombed Pakistani territory following militant attacks on its soil but Wednesday's operation is the deepest India has struck inside its neighbor since the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, the biggest of several wars between the two countries.

Aerial skirmishes

On 7 May, Indian and Pakistani fighter jets battled for over an hour. Pakistan claimed that three Dassault Rafales, one

, one

Su-30MKI The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for th ...

fighter jet, and one Israeli-manufactured IAI Heron UAV belonging to the Indian Air Force were shot down. If true, would first time that a French-origin

has been lost in combat, reportedly having been shot down by the Chinese-origin Chengdu J-10. This, along with the performance of Chinese-origin PL-15E missiles in the combat, reportedly gained global attention. Indian military claimed that Pakistan jets were prevented from entering the Indian airspace and that "a few" of their fighter jets have been intercepted and the wreckages were outside Indian borders. The exact numbers were not revealed. Pakistani military claimed one of its aircraft suffered minor damage in a confrontation with India. On 12 May 2025, the Indian military showed the supposed wreckage of what it claimed to be a Mirage III or Mirage 5, claiming its interception. On claimed jet losses, the Indian Air Force said "losses are a part of combat" without additional details, adding that all pilots were back home. According to

France 24 France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned publicly funded international news television network based in Paris. Its channels, broadcast in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, are aimed at the overseas market. Based in the Paris suburb ...

, India's refusal to confirm or deny the loss of the jets gave further credence to the downing claims. Defence analyst Michael Clarke told ''

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pro ...

'' that if India had lost a Rafale jet, "that would certainly be embarrassing." He added that if the aircraft had come down within Indian territory, India would likely try to keep it as an unconfirmed rumour for as long as possible, and that its general statement on "inevitable losses" might be the closest it comes to confirmation. On 31 May 2025, India's Chief of Defence Staff

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Anil Chauhan admitted that India lost jets, but dismissed Pakistan's claim of downing six fighter jets. According to him, this resulted in corrections in India's warfighting tactics during the Armed Forces' further strikes on 7, 8 and 10 May. According to Pakistan, the

intercepted and destroyed 84 Israeli-made Harop drones, sent by India. The Pakistan Air Force reiterated its earlier claims of downing five Indian fighter jets, including Rafale aircraft, and added purported crash locations, a description of interception of combat formations and flight data, as well as what they said was a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcript of the pilot's final communications. In press releases by

Press Information Bureau The Press Information Bureau, commonly abbreviated as PIB, is a nodal agency of the Government of India under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Based in National Media Centre, New Delhi, Press Information Bureau disseminates informati ...

, the Indian government claimed that during the first strikes on terror camps the Indian Air Force had "bypassed and jammed Pakistan's Chinese-supplied air defence systems" and the operation was conducted without the loss of any Indian asset. Additionally, India said its air defense systems successfully intercepted and shot down hundreds of kamikaze drones, launched by Pakistan.

Strikes on Pakistani air bases

On 8 May 2025, as a retaliation of Indian strikes, Pakistan claimed to target several Indian military bases. In response, on 9 and 10 May, the

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the armed forces, military forces of the India, Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Ar ...

carried out multiple air-strike operations, but this time with an expanded scope to target Pakistani military installations. As per Indian media reports, the air strikes were planned by India's Chief of the Air Staff Amar Preet Singh while NSA

Ajit Doval Ajit Kumar Doval, Kirti Chakra, KC (born 20 January 1945) is an Indian bureaucrat and spymaster, who is currently serving as the National Security Advisor of India since 2014. A retired Indian Police Service officer of the Kerala cadre, he had p ...

granted the final clearance. These strikes were reportedly conducted by Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets armed with

BrahMos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10)Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...

. As per evidences, including high-resolution

satellite image Satellite images (also Earth observation imagery, spaceborne photography, or simply satellite photo) are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell i ...

s, according to

, while the attacks were widespread, the damage was far more contained than claimed. ''

'' and ''

'' analysed before and after satellite images of six military airbases of Pakistan that showed major damages that were inflicted during the air strikes. India managed to cause damage deep inside the Pakistani side, targeting airfields and more defense systems, and also striking near one of Pakistan's crucial strategic headquarters. Indian missiles and drones barraged on six major Pakistani Air Bases and other facilities. * PAF Base Nur Khan, which is just 10 kilometers away from capital of Pakistan,

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

, was a strategic target in the air strikes. According to an eye-witness and two Pakistani security officials, the attack on Nur Khan air base saw at least two

strikes as well as drone attacks. The barrage took out two roofs and hit the hangar of a refueling plane, according to one of the officials, who visited the base the next day. According to William Goodhind, a geospatial analyst at Contested Ground, two mobile control centers at the Nur Khan airbase were damaged. Videos recorded from a parking lot nearby which "showed smoke billowing from the damaged area". * PAF Base Bholari, located less than from

, the largest city of Pakistan, and host of a Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&CS squadron, was also a target of India's Air Strikes. An apparent missile strike resulted in -wide hole on an aircraft hangar. Debris was scattered around the hangar in the pavement while the wall appeared to have collapsed on a nearby building. * PAF Base Shahbaz, which operates multiple variants of

F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...

and AW139, was also attacked. This resulted in a -wide crater in an aircraft hangar as well as damage to its Air Traffic Control tower. * At

PAF Base Mushaf Pakistan Air Force Base Mushaf or more simply PAF Base Mushaf (formerly PAF Station Sargodha and PAF Base Sargodha), ) is a Pakistan Air Force airbase situated at Sargodha in Punjab, Pakistan. It is designated as a "Major Operational Base" (MOB ...

, formerly known as Sargodha airbase, located in Punjab Province, the Indian military claimed to have used precision weapons to strike two sections of the runway. Later satellite imagery showed a crater on the runway. * On 10 May, Pakistan issued a

NOTAM A NOTAM (ICAO & FAA: Notice to Airmen, CAA: Notice to Aviation or, for the FAA from 2021 to 2025, Notice to Air Missions) is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a loca ...

declaring the runway at Rahim Yar Khan Airport non-operational for a week until 18 May due to a "Work in Progress" (WIP). Satellite imagery taken after the Indian strike showed a crater on the runway that was not present in earlier images. As per Pakistani sources, the airport's Royal Lounge was damaged in the attack and a -wide crater was created in the apron area. * Sukkur Airport was also affected in the strikes as a hangar collapsed and an apparent radar site was destroyed. India appeared to have had a clear edge is in its targeting of Pakistan's military facilities and airfields, as the latter stretch of fighting shifted from symbolic strikes and shows of force to attacks on each other's defense capabilities as stated by

. India's Chief of Defence Staff

Anil Chauhan said during an interview with ''

'' that IAF "flew all types of aircraft with all types of ordinances on the 10th". He also said that all most of the strikes had achieved pinpoint accuracy with "some even to a metre to whatever was our selected mean point of impact".

Alleged nuclear escalation

Some reports claimed that India's missile-drone strikes on several Pakistani airbases, especially Nur Khan, prompted US intervention for ceasefire agreement. The base is reportedly a strategic asset for PAF as "one of the central transport hubs" and "home to the

air refueling Aerial refueling (American English, en-us), or aerial refuelling (British English, en-gb), also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from ...

capability" ( No. 10 Squadron). The facility was also just over a mile from the headquarters of Strategic Plans Division responsible for Pakistan's nuclear arsenal which includes over 170 warheads. ''The New York Times'' also cited a former American official who stated, "Pakistan's deepest fear is of its nuclear command authority being decapitated" and that the Indian missile strikes were interpreted to be a warning for India's capability to do the same. According to Christopher Clary, an associate professor at the

University at Albany The State University of New York at Albany (University at Albany, UAlbany, or SUNY Albany) is a Public university, public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the St ...

, "So, an attack on the facility may have been perceived as more dangerous than India intended – and the two sides should not conclude that it is possible to have a conflict without it going nuclear". On 14 May, Reuters reported that Indian strikes on Nur Khan Airbase had alarmed US officials, due to the bases proximity to Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division. However, unlike the claims of multiple reports, India denied that it had struck the Kirana Hills Site. The

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...

also affirmed after investigations, following social media rumours, that there had been no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan. Also, both India's Chief of Defence Staff

Anil Chauhan and Pakistan's

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) is, in principle, the highest-ranking and senior most uniformed military officer, typically at four-star rank, in the Pakistan Armed Forces who serves as a principal staff officer (PSO) an ...

Sahir Shamshad Mirza confirmed that there were no time during the conflict in which any of the nations had considered to use any nuclear weapons.

Casualties

India

India said that 21 civilians and 8 military and paramilitary personnel had died in the conflict. Majority of the deaths and injuries were from mortar shelling by Pakistan in the

region of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir particularly its Poonch district, where Indian media sources said that a gurudwara, a school and several houses were damaged in the attacks, leaving 14 civilians and 2 Indian soldiers dead. Pakistani shelling hit in and near the Christ School compound, a Carmelites of Mary Immaculate congregation

Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...

in Poonch, killing two students and damaging the nearby

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

of the Congregation of Mother of Carmel. A Pakistani

Punjab, India Punjab () is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states ...

, the only Indian death outside Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. An

soldier was killed following Pakistan's airstrike on Udhampur Air Force Station, and a

deputy commissioner A deputy commissioner is a police, income tax or administrative official in many countries. The rank is commonplace in police forces of Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, usually ranking below the Commissioner. Australia In all Aust ...

was killed during Pakistani shelling in

. Pakistan claimed that around 25–50 Indian soldiers were killed.

Pakistan

Pakistan said that 40 civilians and 13 military personnel were killed during the conflict from Indian air strikes and cross-border shelling (the latter in Pakistan-administered

). The initial Indian airstrikes on 9 May killed at least 21 civilians according to Pakistan. Indian loitering munitions killed a civlian near the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, two others in Daharki and Jabbi Kasran and a

soldier in

. The Pakistan military confirmed that six of its airmen were killed during Indian air strikes on 10 May, including 5 deaths at PAF Base Bholari and one at

. India claimed that at least 100 militants had been killed in the missile strikes, and that Pakistan lost 35 to 40 personnel in the conflict. Masjid Syedna Bilal in Muzaffarabad and Masjid-e-Abbas in Kotli (identified by India as Markaz Abbas) both in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir were damaged in the Indian strikes and killed 5 civilians according to Pakistan. The Markaz-e-Taiba, a complex which includes a school, a college and a medical clinic, was hit in

. It was established by Lashkar-e-Taiba's co-founder Hafiz Saeed and serves as its headquarters, and that of its front organisation the Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Al-Jazeera noted this site as the most significant among the others hit by India. ''Dawn'' reported that that at least 3 civilians were killed in the Indian strike.

's Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed, was also one of the targets in the Indian strikes. Indian media reports claimed that Jaish leader Abdul Rauf Azhar was killed in the strike, though this remains unconfirmed and his brother Masood did not name him among the deceased family members.

Analysis

According to ''

'', India's role was "assertive" and "aggressive", and possibly established a new level of deterrence with Pakistan. The ''Times'' noted that in its initial strikes, India struck targets deeper inside enemy territory than it had struck in previous decades and had hit close enough to locations affiliated with "terrorist activities" that India could claim victory against these groups. At the end of the conflict, it published high-resolution before and after satellite images, which showed India's edge in targeting of Pakistan's military facilities and airfields. It reported that India felt frustrated after Donald Trump public claims of mediating a cease-fire, presenting both countries as equals and downplaying the terrorist attack that triggered the conflict, and that India had hoped any U.S. involvement would remain discreet, and Trump's portrayal of both countries on equal terms was seen by Indian officials as politically sensitive and diplomatically frustrating. According to the paper, the result of the conflict was "little more than a draw". Noting that despite India damaging sensitive Pakistani airbases, hangars and runways, it lost aircraft in aerial duels. It opined that the conflict had been a strategic setback for India, which found itself equated with Pakistan, a smaller, weaker country that Indian officials call a rogue sponsor of terrorism. It added that diplomatically, India appeared powerless to resolve the conflict and that the spectre of nuclear war limited what India could achieve militarily. According to ''

'', Pakistan's celebration that "ceasefire with India reestablished deterrence", "may be clouding a clearheaded assessment" and the "regional status quo had been upended" with more aggressive strikes by India, including a strike at Pakistan's military headquarters. The ''Post'' said that , according to analysts, the alleged losses of Indian aircraft would constitute a humiliation of the Indian military. According to the French newspaper ''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

'', this military operation against Pakistan revealed weaknesses in the Indian Air Force, and that the success of the Pakistan Air Force had to do with the superior training and combat experience of most of the pilots as they had been fighting continuous counterterrorism air campaigns in the

Federally Administered Tribal Areas The Federally Administered Tribal Areas, commonly known as FATA, was a semi-autonomous tribal region in north-western Pakistan that existed from 1947 until being merged with the neighbouring province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018 through the ...

, whereas India had largely remained at peace. It said that the major military confrontation "produced no winners." According to

, analysts contend that neither side emerged with a definite upper hand, and both nations made certain strategic gains even as they each also suffered losses. Al Jazeera further reported that analysts noted that Pakistan's gains included internationalising the Kashmir issue and the downing of aircraft, while India's gains involved highlighting alleged Pakistan-based terrorism and demonstrating further military reach across the border. ''

The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'', noting that both India and Pakistan claimed victory, said the ceasefire gave Islamabad the "diplomatic upper hand", as US intervention bracketed India, the "fifth-biggest economy", with what it sees as a "terrorism-backing rogue state". According to Manal Fatima of the

Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosp ...

, the war appeared to unify fractured Pakistani political forces domestically and resulted in Pakistan having a diplomatic advantage over India regarding Trump's involvement in ceasefire talks. According to Srujan Palkar—global fellow at the Council—Operation Sindoor "exposed an imbalance in US policy toward South Asia". The expert noted that if the United States was to continue building trust with India, it must put "the onus on the Pakistani establishment to play its part in counterterrorism" as well as consider revoking Pakistan's Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status. According to the Swiss newspaper ''

Neue Zürcher Zeitung The (''NZZ''; "New Newspaper of Zurich") is German language daily newspaper, published by NZZ Mediengruppe in Zurich. The paper was founded in 1780. It has a reputation as a high-quality newspaper, as the German Swiss newspaper of record ...

,'' the reported downing of an Indian Rafale jet (made in France) by a Pakistani air-defense system (made in China) raises concerns for Western military technologies. It stated that the Operation Sindoor by India "turned into a disaster", as it failed to take out their targets quickly, unnoticed and without losses, with Indian pilots encountering fierce resistance, and that despite India's claim that Pakistan was behind the Pahalgam attacks and its intention to deliver a punitive response, the operation resulted in heavy losses for India. According to ''The Diplomat'' magazine's Pakistan correspondent Umair Jamal, Pakistan came out "emboldened" after clashes with India. He said that the conflict unified the country, that the Pakistani military has emerged more popular than earlier, and that the political leadership now see the need to strengthen the armed forces. He believed that Pakistan scored a diplomatic win by acting with "restraint" and found the US intervention to have favoured Pakistan more than India. In an analysis published by RUSI, Walter Ladwig of

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

wrote that India had seemingly "largely achieved its stated objectives". He noted that the Indian Airforce had, in the opening days, showed the capability to destroy claimed terror infrastructure, and for the first time since 1971 had penetrated the Pakistani air defence systems to hit forward airbases - showing a capacity for "coercive precision operations". However, he said that the Indian military's initial silence had ceded the narrative space, leading to an undue emphasis on specific platforms. He said that the Indian operation had set new normal regarding responses to terror attacks, changing the use of force against Pakistan proper from an "exception to expectation". He however noted that fringe actors may attempt to use this to provoke confrontations, and emphasised the need for expanding communication channels. He said that Operation Sindoor should not be remembered as a "dogfight between airframes" but as a "calibrated use of force" designed to show resolve, target terrorist infrastructure, and assert military capability. Christopher Clary, a

professor and expert on India–Pakistan relations, stated to ''

'' that satellite evidence supports the claim that the Indian military inflicted significant, though not devastating, damage on Pakistan's air force at several eastern bases. According to John Spencer and Vincent Viola, writing in the Small Wars Journal, Operation Sindoor was more than just a rapid military reaction — it marked a significant strategic turning point. In just four days, India carried out accurate strikes on fortified positions across the border using only domestically developed or assembled systems such as BrahMos missiles, Akashteer air defense units, and loitering munitions, without relying on U.S. platforms or foreign logistics. India didn't just achieve victory — it demonstrated a clear military advantage over a Chinese-supported opponent. The operation highlighted a shift in national defense doctrine toward self-reliance and indigenous capability. As the journal notes, Pakistan, aligned with China in arms and strategy, was unable to counter India's precision offensive, with its Chinese-made air defenses proving ineffective. American geopolitical analyst Brandon Weichert writing for the '' The National Interest'' described the aerial duel between both countries as an unambiguous victory for Pakistan, insofar as western observers had not expected Chinese-made equipment to be able to shoot down the Rafales. Retired Indian Navy officer and analyst C. Uday Bhaskar told ''

Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...

Urdu'' that "India and Prime minister Modi had to respond to the 22 April attack because opposition parties and social media users were circulating clips of Modi criticizing former Prime minister

Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...

for not retaliating after the

2008 Mumbai attacks The 2008 Mumbai attacks, also referred to as 26/11 attacks, were a series of coordinated Islamic terrorism, Islamist terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist o ...

. Therefore, Modi had to prove that he could act on India's 'cross-border strike' policy by targeting locations such as Muridke and Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province." Bhaskar added that "this narrative reinforces the aggressive image of 'India under Modi's leadership,' which follows a hardline and zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. It supports the narrative of Modi as a 'protector of Hindus,' which carries electoral benefits. The upcoming Bihar assembly elections will be a test for this narrative."

Impact

Pakistani airspace was closed for 48 hours and all flights were cancelled. In Pakistani Punjab, schools and colleges were closed, and CIE examinations were cancelled in most of Pakistan. In India, at least 25 airports in the north and west were shut down until 10 May. The Indian Air Force took control of Srinagar Airport and civil operations were stopped for an indefinite period. The 2025 Indian Premier League transferred a match between Punjab Kings and the

Mumbai Indians The Mumbai Indians are a professional Twenty20, Twenty20 cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indians were founded in 2008 and are owned by India's largest Conglomerate (company), co ...

scheduled at Dharamsala on 11 May to

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

, citing the closure of Kangra Airport and other logistical issues caused by the ongoing tensions. Similarly, during 2025 Pakistan Super League, a match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi could not be played. On 9 May, both the tournaments were postponed because of worsening of the situation. More than 8,000 Twitter accounts were blocked in India. The Indian government also blocked several Pakistani YouTube channels along with six Bangladeshi channels' YouTube accounts under the section 69(A) of Information Technology Act, 2000 citing "threat to the national security or public discipline". This measure received protests from Bangladeshi government. X accounts of Chinese state-run media

Xinhua News Agency Xinhua News Agency (English pronunciation: ),J. C. Wells: Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd ed., for both British and American English or New China News Agency, is the official state news agency of the People's Republic of China. It is a ...

and ''

Global Times The ''Global Times'' is a daily Chinese Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the ''People's Daily'', commenting on international issues from a Chinese nationalistic pers ...

'', and Turkish public broadcaster TRT World were also blocked in India. The

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) () is the telecommunication regulator of Pakistan, responsible for the establishment, operation and maintenance of telecommunication systems and the provision of telecommunication services in Pakis ...

blocked 79 Indian YouTube channels and websites citing "anti-Pakistan propaganda" which undermined "national unity". Stock markets in India and Pakistan experienced significant volatility through the week due to escalating geopolitical tensions, but rebounded sharply on 12 May following the ceasefire agreement. In China, a viral parody video mocking India over the reported downing of Rafale jets by Pakistani J-10C aircraft attracted significant attention, amassing millions of likes on

Douyin TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

and being reposted by Pakistan's Defence Ministry. The video was widely criticized as "racist and nationalistic", with commentators linking its popularity to rising Chinese nationalist sentiment. While the Chinese public embraced the incident as a win for domestic military tech, the Chinese government maintained diplomatic caution, urging both sides to exercise restraint amid regional tensions. The Indian strikes on 7 May sparked protests against it in Pakistan. Protests and rallies took place in

and

, while political rallies were taken out in

(by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, a front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba), Muzaffarabad (by the Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir), and Mirpur. British Pakistani protestors demonstrated outside the Indian Embassy in London on 7 and 8 May. Members of the Indian diaspora in France gathered in front of the

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889. Locally nicknamed "''La dame de fe ...

to hold a protest against Pakistan after the strikes. Calls for a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan were raised on India social media due to their public support for Pakistan during the conflict. In

Hyderabad, India Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, the protestors demanded to change the name of the Karachi Bakery, while in

Hyderabad, Pakistan Hyderabad, also known as Neroonkot, is the capital and largest city of the Hyderabad Division in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Sindh by population, second-largest city in Sindh, after Karachi, and the List of citie ...

, the Bombay Bakery (named after Bombay, now

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

) was celebrated. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor from Ashoka University in India was arrested on Sunday on charges under laws concerning incitement of communal disharmony, subversive activity, and religious insult, following social media posts about India’s Operation Sindoor. In his posts, he questioned the use of Muslim women officer Sofiya Qureshi for optics and highlighted issues like mob lynching on Muslims in India during the conflict. The incident sparked condemnation from over 1,200 academics and civil society members, who called it a crackdown on free speech and academic freedom. He was later granted interim bail by the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

. The legal case reached India's highest court, which granted Ali bail but restrained him from further commenting on the 2025 Pahalgam attack as well as Operation Sindoor. A three member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been setup to look at the charges against him. The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency of Pakistan arrested a senior

National Database and Registration Authority The National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) () is an independent and autonomous agency under the control of the Interior Secretary of Pakistan that regulates Government database, Government Databases and statistically manages the sen ...

official for allegedly sharing anti-army remarks on a WhatsApp work group. On 12 May, a day after the ceasefire declaration, a session of the

National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly of Pakistan, also referred to as ''Aiwān-ē-Zairīñ'', is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate of Pakistan, Senate. As of 2023, the National Assem ...

was convened to celebrate what was regarded by Pakistani leaders as a victory. The government of Pakistan promoted Chief of Army Staff

Asim Munir to the rank of

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

on 20 May 2025 citing his leadership during the conflict. Prime Minister

described the military operation as a "remarkable success" and commended Munir's "exemplary courage and resolve".

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

Zaheer Ahmad Babar was granted a second tenure extension 'in recognition of his operational excellence' during the conflict. Addressing the nation on 12th May, Indian Prime Minister

stated that Operation Sindoor is another occasion where India defeated Pakistan on the battlefield. He added that this operation has added a new dimension to the nation's military prowess, and that India has only paused military action with Pakistan and will strike if any further 'terrorist attack' occurs. On 9th June, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who, as Director General Military Operations (DGMO), played a key role during Operation Sindoor, was promoted as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy).

Misinformation

There were a number of misinformation campaigns in both countries during the conflict, particularly on social media platform X. A rise in online hate speech on social media described as misogynistic, sexist, and promoting gender-related violence against women also saw a surge in both countries during the conflict. Sumitra Badrinathan, an assistant political science professor at the

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

, stated that misinformation about the rivalry between India and Pakistan often originated from anonymous online accounts, but during the ongoing conflict, misinformations at least on the Indian side had been put out by "previously credible journalists and major media outlets." South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman also noted a "very high volume of particularly egregious fake news" in Indian media outlets aligned with the government. Several Indian broadcast outlets reported unverified claims, including supposed strikes on a Pakistani nuclear base, downing two Pakistani fighter jets based on AI generated deepfake, Indian army crossing the international border, Pakistan's Prime Minister

fleeing to a bunker, Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir being deposed in a coup and arrested, capture of Pakistani capital

, and had also circulated stories such as the Indian Navy attacking

Karachi Port The Port of Karachi (, ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water Port, seaports, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located on the Karac ...

, all of which were discredited. According to the UK Defence Journal and the

Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative news magazine based in Washington, D.C., consisting of a website and a weekly printed magazine. It is owned by Philip Anschutz through MediaDC, a subsidiar ...

, footage from a video game Arma 3 was shared by the official X (Twitter) handle of the Government of Pakistan, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar praising the military's "timely and nerve-wracking response", as the video showing a jet being targeted went viral on social media during the conflict. A ''Daily Telegraph'' frontpage showing Pakistani aerial victory in the conflict, shared by

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

Ishaq Dar in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

and by Ikhtiar Wali Khan online, was found to have been AI-generated by fact checkers. A

infographic purportedly verifying Pakistan's official claims of gains and losses in the conflict was similarly found to have been fabricated. False reports of Pakistan capturing Indian pilot Shivangi Singh were also widely circulated on Pakistani social media.

fact-checked several false claims on social media during the conflict. A video with over 5 million views, allegedly showing Indian missile strikes, was in fact footage of Iranian missiles hitting Israel published by

DD India DD India, is an Indian state-owned international English language news and current affairs channel from India. The service is also aimed at the overseas market, similar to WION, CNN International, BBC News, DW, VOA, France24, NHK World-Ja ...

in October 2024. Another claim by a pro-Pakistan user that a French-made Rafale fighter, used by the Indian Air Force, was shot down in Pakistan, near Bahawalpur. The picture, in fact, was not a Rafale but a Pakistani Mirage 5 that crashed on a training mission in southeastern Pakistan three weeks before the conflict. Another viral video from a June 2024 crash of a

Sukhoi Su-30MKI The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a two-seater, twinjet Multirole combat aircraft, multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautic ...

of the Indian Air Force in Nashik, Maharashtra was falsely shared as that of a Rafale jet shot down by Pakistan near the Line of Control.

Legal status

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) stated that the casualties of the Indian air strikes were "a grave violation of international human rights law and could constitute

crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are certain serious crimes committed as part of a large-scale attack against civilians. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during both peace and war and against a state's own nationals as well as ...

". In ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

'', legal journalist Aaratrika Bhaumik argued that for military self-defence to be legal under Article 51 of the

Charter of the United Nations The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the United Nations (UN). It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the UN system, including its six principal organs: the Secretariat, the G ...

, military actions have to "immediately" be reported to the

UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

(UNSC). Bhaumik interpreted the Indian foreign minister's 8 May briefing of 13 of the 15 UNSC member states to be "apparent adherence" to the Article 51 requirement and stated that the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...

(ICJ) interpreted Article 51 to only be valid in the case of defence against attacks by non-state actors if a state were responsible for the attacks. O. P. Jindal Global University legal scholar Prabhash Ranjan interpreted the foreign minister to have avoided references to international law and to have attributed the attack to Pakistan as a state. He viewed the foreign minister's legal argument to be based on a contested Indian view of the right to defence against non-state actors presented at a February 2021 Arria formula meeting. Ranjan viewed the Indian military strikes of 7 May 2025 to have satisfied the principles of military necessity and proportionality.

Reactions

Involved parties

* : The Indian government claimed that the operation was a necessary response to terrorism, citing the Pahalgam attack. Prime Minister

cancelled his planned trip to

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

in light of the actions. Opposition parties urged Pakistan to stop its support for terrorism. * : Prime Minister

called the Indian strikes a "cowardly attack" on civilians, and the Pakistani military threatened retaliatory strikes at a time and place of its choosing. After the strikes on 6 May protests erupted nationwide against the attacks including the cities of

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

and

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

. Many Pakistani celebrities, including

Humayun Saeed Humayun Saeed (born 27 July 1971) is a Pakistani actor and producer. Describing himself as a method actor, Saeed is primarily known for his work on Pakistani television and cinema and is the recipient of several accolades, including Lux Styl ...

, Hadiqa Kiani, Hania Aamir, and others urged peace.

Supranational bodies

* : European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas stated that "The announced ceasefire between India and Pakistan is a vital step toward de-escalation. All efforts must be made to ensure it is respected. The EU remains committed to peace, stability, and counter-terrorism in the region." * : Secretary-General

António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is serving as the ninth and current secretary-general of the United Nations since 2017. A member of the Socialist Party (Portugal), ...

called for military restraint and said that "the world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan".

International

* : The

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA–MoFA) released a statement expressing their concern over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, additionally reaffirming their belief that security and stability serve the collective interests of all countries in the region. Afghanistan urges both sides to exercise restraint and resolve their issues through dialogue and diplomacy. * : The

expressed deep concern about the recent escalation of armed exchanges between India and Pakistan, urged both sides to maintain self‑restraint and calm, to return immediately to dialogue in a spirit of responsibility, and warned that political and diplomatic means must prevail over the use of force. Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said Algeria welcomed the ceasefire deal and commended the mediation efforts that made it possible by putting communication and diplomacy ahead of conflict and stress. * : Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ani Badalyan stated that Armenia appreciates India and Pakistan's ceasefire deal. She hoped that the ceasefire would last and that regional peace could be attained, adding that communication is essential. * : Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed the ceasefire, emphasizing the significance of de-escalation and counter-terrorism operations for regional peace and stability. She called on Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to uphold the terms of the truce. * : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the announcement of the ceasefire, expressing optimism that it would help bring about long-term peace and stability in the area by lowering tensions. It urged the parties to have fruitful discussions in order to settle unresolved matters and foster trust between them. * : In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahrain welcomed the ceasefire and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting communication and understanding between parties as crucial means of settling disputes and preserving stability, peace, and prosperity in the region and the larger international community. * : The

, in an official statement, said it is closely observing the situation. Additionally, it has urged both nations to exercise restraint and maintain calm. Chief Adviser

Muhammad Yunus Muhammad Yunus (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi economist, entrepreneur, and civil society leader who has been serving as the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, Chief Adviser of the Interim government of Muhammad Yunus, interim Yunus ministry, g ...

said "I most sincerely commend Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of India and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan for agreeing to a ceasefire with immediate effect and to engage in talks. Bangladesh will continue to support our two neighbours to resolve differences through diplomacy." * : The

welcomed the ceasefire and urged both India and Pakistan to work towards lasting peace through dialogue and mutual confidence. The Government also welcomed the ceasefire agreement and says it is committed to promoting peace, stability, and dialogue as the only way to resolve conflicts. It also encourages the parties to keep up their diplomatic efforts in order to achieve lasting peace and the welfare of their peoples, South Asia, and the world. * : A Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said that China found India's military operation early in the morning regrettable. The spokesperson expressed concern about the ongoing situation and urged both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, to remain calm, exercise restraint, and refrain from taking actions that might further complicate the situation. * : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hailed the ceasefire accord as a step in the right direction toward South Asian stability. Cairo conveyed optimism that all parties would uphold the agreement, foster trust between them, and strive for their respective peoples' peace and prosperity. * : Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated on Twitter that he welcomes India and Pakistan's ceasefire, calling it a prudent move. "France emphasizes the need to continue the fight against terrorist groups and encourages the parties to ensure a lasting ceasefire," he added. * : The foreign office issued a statement online, urging that "Escalation must be prevented and civilians protected." It also hailed the ceasefire accord, calling it a first, critical step toward ending the spiral of escalation as well as stressing the importance of discussion. * : Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis praised the ceasefire deal and emphasized the significance of sustaining the momentum toward de-escalation through measures aimed at fostering confidence. He emphasized the pressing need for moderation and communication in light of the region's increased instability. * : President

Irfaan Ali Mohamed Irfaan Ali (born 25 April 1980) is a Guyanese people, Guyanese politician serving as the tenth and current president of Guyana since 2020. A member of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), he previously served as the minister of ...

praised the ceasefire agreement, urging all parties concerned to honor it and let peace to grow in the region. * : The

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

promptly released a statement stating that Jakarta would closely monitor the course of the crisis between India and Pakistan. The ministry's statement said, "We urge both parties to exercise restraint and prioritize dialogue in resolving the crisis." * : Foreign Minister

Abbas Araqchi Sayyid Abbas Araghchi (, ; also spelled Araqchi, born 5 December 1962) is an Iranian diplomat and politician, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran since August 2024. He previously served as the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign A ...

during a visit to

urged both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baqaei praised the ceasefire announcement. He emphasized how crucial it is that both nations make use of this chance to guarantee a lowering of tensions and the long-term viability of regional peace. * : The Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire agreement, describing it as a positive gesture that represents both parties' commitment to communication and diplomacy as a way of conflict resolution. * : Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said that Israel supports India's right for self-defence. He added that "terrorists should know there's no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent." * : Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the cease-fire and urged it to be a "lasting accord." He reaffirmed Italy's commitment to promoting peace and development in Asia by fighting terrorism and any escalation on the front lines. * : Foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya released a statement declaring that the country is "deeply concerned that the recent series of events could lead to further reprisals and escalate into a full-scale military conflict." Prime Minister

Shigeru Ishiba Shigeru Ishiba (born 4 February 1957) is a Japanese politician who has served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2024. He has been a member of ...

praised the ceasefire accord, describing it as "a model case." * : The Foreign Ministry has hailed the ceasefire agreement, citing it as an important step toward improving regional peace and stability. Spokesman Sufyan Qudah praised the two nations for coming to the agreement, emphasizing their emphasis on conversation and moderation, and reiterated Jordan's commitment to supporting all diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving problems peacefully. * : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hailed the ceasefire accord, believing it will assist restore regional security and stability. It further stated that Kuwait reiterates its steadfast support for diplomatic ties and dialogue as a means of resolving regional and global conflicts. * : Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel welcomed the "immediate ceasefire" between India and Pakistan, while urging peace and dialogue to ensure regional stability. * : Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli thanked both India and Pakistan for the cessation of hostilities, called for lasting peace between both nations and highlighted the teachings of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

and the message of non-violence of

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

. * : The Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire agreement and said it hoped it would be the first step in a positive dialogue between the two nations, which would lead to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in a way that benefits both peoples and advances efforts to achieve sustainable development and peace. * : The

State of Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

has voiced its support for the ceasefire agreement agreed by

and

, hailing this momentous move as a positive step toward improving regional security and stability. * : The Department of Foreign Affairs called for the situation to be resolved peacefully. "The Department is closely monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan. We call for a peaceful resolution to the current issues," DFA Spokesperson Maria Teresita Daza said. * : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged diplomacy and restraint. Later, it praised the ceasefire agreement between

and

, affirming that it reflects both nations' wisdom and their commitment to peace and the resolution of all unresolved issues through constructive dialogue that opens the door to comprehensive, mutually agreeable, and long-lasting solutions that will improve regional security and stability. * : Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called both involved parties to exercise restraint and expressed the country is "deeply concerned about the intensifying military confrontation between India and Pakistan after the terrorist attack near the city of Pahalgam". It later said in a formal statement that

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

strongly supports the ceasefire deal that the two South Asian neighbors achieved to lessen tensions and encourage communication. The ministry expressed hope that the steps made to restore relations will be long-lasting and sustainable, calling the accord "an important step forward." * : The

said it "welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India, optimistic that it will restore security and peace in the region". It also commended "both parties for prioritising wisdom and self-restraint and reaffirms its support for resolving disputes through dialogue and peaceful means." * : The

voiced alarm about the ongoing military conflict between India and Pakistan, urging both sides to use diplomacy to reduce tensions and protect civilians. * : President

Anura Kumara Dissanayake Anura Kumara Dissanayake (born 24 November 1968), commonly referred to by his initials AKD, is a Sri Lankan politician who has been the tenth and current president of Sri Lanka since 2024. Dissanayake is the first Sri Lankan president to be ele ...

welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calling it vital for regional stability. President Dissanayake also said that Sri Lanka is ready to make whatever contribution to achieve regional peace. * : The Foreign Ministry praised the ceasefire declaration and said it was a great chance to reduce tensions and advance enduring peace in South Asia. It called on both parties to have "direct and healthy dialogue." * : The

called for both parties to pursue diplomatic engagement and avoid escalation. It later hailed the ceasefire deal, expressing confidence that its proper implementation will be a key step towards de-escalation of tensions and the strengthening of peace and security in South Asia. * : Foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for both sides to show restraint and avoid an escalation. He later praised the ceasefire announcement between the two nations and said he hopes it will help to improve security and stability in South Asia. * : Foreign Secretary David Lammy called on both sides "to show restraint and engage in direct dialogue to find a swift, diplomatic path forward." He later said that "Today's ceasefire between India and Pakistan is hugely welcome. I urge both parties to sustain this. De-escalation is in everybody's interest." * : President

remarked that "It's a shame" and said "I just hope it ends very quickly." US Secretary of State

spoke to the national security advisers from India and Pakistan and urged both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation. Vice President

said that, a potential war between India and Pakistan is "none of our business." Furthermore, he said that, "We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible." Later president

and Rubio announced that the US had mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. * : The

urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and prevent the escalation of hostilities. Uzberkistan also said that it closely monitoring the situation and offered to support efforts aimed at de-escalation between both nations. * :

Pope Leo XIV Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955) has been head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since May 2025. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States and North America, the fir ...

expressed hope that "a lasting agreement may soon be reached."

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Indian missile strike on Pakistan, 2025 2025 airstrikes 2025 in international relations 2025 military operations 2020s in Jammu and Kashmir 21st century in Azad Kashmir May 2025 in India May 2025 in Pakistan Attacks in Asia in 2025 Attacks on military installations in 2025 Airstrikes conducted by India Airstrikes conducted by Pakistan Attacks on military headquarters Attacks on military installations in Jammu and Kashmir Military operations of the Kashmir conflict