India and Pakistan launch airstrikes on each other
India launched missile attacks on three Pakistani army air bases overnight, including one on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad near the army headquarters, according to the Pakistani military. Pakistan responded with a military strike on India a few hours later.
According to a Pakistani army spokesman, Nur Khan, Murid and Shorkot bases were targeted by the attacks from India. The Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, where the army has its headquarters, is about ten kilometers from the capital Islamabad.
The military reports that most of the missiles were intercepted, while the rest missed their intended targets.
Pakistan ResponseA Pakistani military spokesman said after the attacks that India could "now wait for a response": a few hours later it did.
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In unverified reports, the Pakistani army claims to have hit a military airport in Pathankot, an air base in Udhampur and a military depot in Beas. The Indian Ministry of Defence has not yet responded to these claims. Local Indian media reports that the missiles were intercepted.
India's airport authority said more than 30 airports in the north and west will be closed to civilian flights until Thursday, May 15.
After the Pakistan attack, the Indian army said it was carrying out fresh air strikes on Pakistan.
ExplosionsWitnesses to Reuters news agency reported hearing multiple explosions in the Indian cities of Amritsar and Jammu, but it is not clear whether they are related to the attack.
Earlier in the night, the Pakistani military claimed that India had fired six ballistic missiles from Adampur, all of which landed on Indian territory.
Pakistani airspace will be closed for the next few hours.
G7: De-escalate conflictThe G7 has called on nuclear powers India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and de-escalate their conflict immediately. The call by the consultative group of major economic powers came amid the attacks.
In a statement issued by Canada, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, the UK and the European Union condemned a terrorist attack in Kashmir , the border region between the two countries that has been disputed since 1947.
The attack, which left more than thirty dead, strained relations between the countries. India accuses Pakistan of involvement, but Islamabad denies this.
In the statement, the G7 urged India and Pakistan to "engage in direct dialogue to achieve a peaceful solution".
RTL Nieuws
