India Launches ‘Unprovoked’ Attacks in Pakistani Territory

The growing tensions between India and Pakistan reached a boiling point in the early hours of May 7 when India launched several attacks inside Pakistani territory. Eight Pakistanis were killed and 35 were injured in the “tri-service” early morning attacks by India, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the director general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations, said in a press conference. Chaudhry added that one of the victims was a 3-year-old girl.

The Indian Army launched the attacks as part of “Operation Sindoor” and targeted nine locations in the cities of Kotli, Muzaffarabad and Bagh in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and Bahawalpur and Muridke in the Punjab province.

The Pakistani military reportedly shot down five Indian jets in retaliation for India’s airstrikes.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement calling the attacks an “unprovoked and blatant act of war” and condemning the targeting of the civilian population. “We strongly condemn India’s cowardly action, which is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms of inter-state relations,” the statement reads.

Tensions climb

In the press release regarding Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army claimed that the attacks were “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature” emphasizing that “No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted.” India has claimed that the attacks were launched in retaliation for the attack which took place on April 22 in Pahalgam, in the Jammu and Kashmir province, where gunmen killed 26 unarmed civilians. India has claimed that Operation Sindoor targeted the groups responsible for that attack.

In the immediate wake of the Pahalgam attack, India began to lodge accusations that Pakistan was responsible and implemented a series of retaliatory measures against its neighbor. These include the suspension of the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, a lifeline for over 240 million Pakistanis, and the closure of the Indian border with Pakistan and ordering all Pakistani nationals visiting India to leave within 48 hours.

India also reiterated that it would take all measures to investigate the attack and that those responsible would be “served with the harshest response”, vowing “revenge.” In the Operation Sindoor statement, the Army declared it was “living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable.”

Meanwhile, since the attack took place, Pakistan has vehemently condemned India’s accusations and highlighted that no evidence connecting it to the attacks has been presented.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said last week in a televised speech that Pakistan rejects “Indian self-assured hubristic role of judge, jury and executioner in the region” calling its moves so far “reckless” and demanding evidence to prove its allegations.

In that address, Tarar stated: “Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan … on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident.” Tarar warned against such a “dangerous path of irrationality and confrontation” and asserted that such an escalation could have “catastrophic consequences.”

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement released following India’s attack, it stated: “In the wake of Pahalgam attack, the Indian leadership has once again used the bogey of terrorism to advance its sham narrative of victimhood, jeopardizing regional peace and security. India’s reckless action has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict.”

Calls for calm and de-escalation grow

Ever since the Pahalgam attack, progressives from both Pakistan and India have urged for sanity and restraint on behalf of both nations, with many citing that any military conflict between the two nuclear-armed powers will not benefit anyone.

Now that the retaliatory military attacks have begun, such calls have become more urgent, and more voices have joined in to call for de-escalation.

The spokesperson of U.N. Secretary General António Guterres stated, “The secretary-general is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border. He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries.”

In a note on May 6 Guterres had emphasized, “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” and urged restraint by both countries. A day prior, the secretary general had said, “It is essential — especially at this critical hour — that India and Pakistan avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control. Make no mistake: A military solution is no solution.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China found India’s military operation “regrettable” and stated it was “concerned about the ongoing situation.”

“India and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbors. They’re both China’s neighbors as well. China opposes all forms of terrorism. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation,” the spokesperson said.

U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally of far-right Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the press regarding India’s attacks, “It’s a shame” and “I just hope it ends very quickly.” Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X: “I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo POTUS’s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.”

Meanwhile, progressive voices from the subcontinent continue to clamor for peace.

Indian historian and writer Vijay Prashad wrote, “1. With its airstrikes on Pakistani cities, India followed the US War on Terror playbook, with the entire language of ‘precision strikes’ – nothing good comes from this kind of approach. 2. There should be an absolute stoppage of more firing that endangers and kills civilians. 3. Escalation to full-scale war between India and Pakistan helps nobody, least of all the Kashmiris.”