In a strong response to India’s missile attacks on civilian targets inside Pakistan, the Pakistan Armed Forces have destroyed a major Indian Army brigade headquarters, according to high-level security sources.
The retaliation follows India’s late-night airstrikes on five Pakistani cities — Kotli, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Bahawalpur, and Muridke — which reportedly targeted mosques and residential areas, killing a child and injuring at least two other civilians.
In its counterstrike, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian jets and an Indian surveillance drone near Barnala, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. All Pakistani aircraft involved in the operation safely returned to base, and air defenses remain on high alert.
A missile strike by the Pakistan Army also hit an Indian military post in the Dudhnial sector along the Line of Control (LoC). The Indian side has acknowledged its airstrikes but has not provided details on military losses.
DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry condemned the Indian aggression, calling it a “cowardly and shameful act”, carried out without crossing into Pakistani airspace. He warned that Pakistan would respond further “at a time and place of its choosing.”
As a result of the hostilities, Islamabad International Airport was placed under red alert, and Pakistan’s airspace was closed to all commercial flights. Dozens of flights have been cancelled or diverted, while a blackout in Muzaffarabad heightened public concern over the damage.
The strikes come amid rising tensions over a recent attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which India blames on Pakistan — a claim Islamabad firmly denies. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has called a clash “inevitable” and stated that Pakistan will respond to every drop of innocent blood.