Pakistani police officers remove vehicles and people from the main entry of Nur Khan airbase following an Indian missile strike in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday.
Anjum Naveed/AP
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Anjum Naveed/AP
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan reported that India launched missiles at three air bases within the country on Saturday, with most of the missiles being intercepted. Pakistan stated that retaliatory strikes on India were in progress, marking the latest escalation in a conflict sparked by a massacre last month that India attributes to Pakistan.
The Pakistani military utilized medium-range Fateh missiles to target an Indian missile storage facility and airbases in Pathankot and Udhampur. The actions attributed to both Pakistan and India could not be independently verified.
Army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, confirmed the safety of Pakistan’s air force assets following the Indian strikes, mentioning that some Indian missiles also impacted India’s eastern Punjab.
“This is an extreme provocation,” Sharif stated. India has not yet provided a response to these developments.
State-run Pakistan Television reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a meeting of the National Command Authority, responsible for overseeing the country’s missile program and strategic assets.
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors have escalated since an attack in India-controlled Kashmir resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, primarily Hindu Indian tourists, on April 22. New Delhi has accused Pakistan of supporting the assault, a claim Islamabad denies.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir on Friday.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned that Rubio urged both parties to deescalate and offered U.S. assistance in initiating constructive dialogues to prevent future conflicts.
Prior to the Indian missile strikes on Saturday, the G7 nations urged India and Pakistan to exercise “maximum restraint,” warning that further military escalation posed a significant threat to regional stability.
