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India said it had carried out “precision strikes” on “terrorist infrastructure” at nine sites in Pakistan, describing the attacks as “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have been rising since last month when New Delhi blamed Islamabad for an attack by militants in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people.
While India’s defence ministry did not specify the locations of the strikes that took place early on Wednesday morning local time, it said it was “hitting terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The ministry added that “no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted”, saying “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution”.
But Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif called India’s strikes an “act of war” and said on social media platform X that his country has “every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given”.
A Pakistan military spokesman was quoted by Reuters as telling a local broadcaster that the country’s response was under way, without providing further details.
The spokesman said five places in Pakistan were hit in the Indian strikes, including two mosques, adding three people were killed and 12 injured.
Pakistan has previously denied any involvement in the attack in Kashmir last month.
But the two countries have downgraded diplomatic relations since the killings, and India has suspended participation in a key water sharing treaty.
This is a developing story
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