Kashmir Escalation: Pakistan Downs 3 Indian Jets, Hits Military Base

By Staff, Agencies

Pakistan has launched a significant retaliatory operation targeting Indian military positions in India-administered Kashmir, downing three fighter jets and destroying a brigade headquarters, according to reports and security sources cited by the Associated Press of Pakistan [APP].

The operation marks a serious escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Pakistani forces are said to be "giving a befitting reply to the enemy at several places," amid heightened military activity along the Line of Control [LoC].

In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that a “befitting response is being executed,” asserting that “Pakistan has every right to respond to this act of war imposed by India.”

He added that national morale remains high, and the entire country stands with its armed forces.

Sharif also convened an emergency meeting of Pakistan's National Security Committee for 10:00 a.m. today to assess the evolving situation.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, announced that three Indian fighter jets and one drone were shot down by the Pakistani Armed Forces.

Later, Pakistan's Minister of Defense, Khawaja Asif, told Reuters that five Indian aircraft were shot down on Wednesday.

This comes as India announces attacking nine sites in Pakistan and the Pakistan-administered Kashmir, targeting “terrorist infrastructures,” while Islamabad reports scores of casualties.

The Indian ministry of defense announced the strikes in a statement on Wednesday, saying they had hit the targets “from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed," describing the attacks as "Operation Sindoor."

The statement said the ministry would release detailed briefing of the operation later in the day.

India described the operations as “precision strikes at terrorist camps” and “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

It, however, said, “Our actions have been focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature.”

“No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, however, told Geo that all sites targeted by India were “civilian” and not terrorist camps.

He said India had fired missiles from its own airspace and the latter’s assertion of targeting "camps of terrorists is false.”