India's strike on Pakistan: What we know so far

Two weeks after a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, India launched military strikes on targets in Pakistan early on Wednesday morning which met strong response from Pakistan. The two sides' tit-for tat measures are escalating their long-simmering conflict.

What has happened and how did India and Pakistan get here? Here is what we know so far.

Why did India launch the attack?

India said the air strikes were carried out under "Operation Sindoor," which was dedicated to the women whose husbands were killed in the Pahalgam area of the Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22.

India has not named any group it suspects carried out the attack in Pahalgam and it remains unclear who did it. However, India claimed Pakistan-based militants were responsible for the attack. Pakistan denied involvement.

Delhi said in the early hours of Wednesday morning that nine different locations had been targeted, adding these sites were "terrorist infrastructure."

It also emphasized that it had not hit any Pakistani military facilities, saying its "actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature."

How did Pakistan respond?

According to a Pakistani military spokesperson, India's air strike early on Wednesday killed at least eight civilians, including a child, injured 35 others and two are reported missing.

Pakistani President Asif Zardari condemned the Indian strikes targeting civilian populations across the border and said that Pakistan would give a strong and befitting response to Indian aggression.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif later told local media that Pakistan has shot down five Indian fighter jets in retaliation for overnight air strikes.

What are the international reactions?

In a note to correspondents issued by his spokesperson, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for military restraint from both countries.

"The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan," the note said.

China urges both India and Pakistan to remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

In reply to a media query concerning India's military strikes, the spokesperson said India's military operation is regrettable and China is concerned about the ongoing situation.

US President Donald Trump termed rising tension between India and Pakistan a shame. "It's a shame, we just heard about it," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They've been fighting for a long time."

He added, "I just hope it ends very quickly."

What's next?

Asia-Pacific International Relations Policy Specialist Sourabh Gupta told CGTN that the situation is very dangerous as both countries are nuclear-powered neighbors.

He expressed the worry that the situation could escalate to some sort of cross-border strike – as seen after the Pulwama attacks which left 40 Indian paramilitary personnel dead in 2019.

Victor Gao, chair professor at Soochow University, pointed out what is happening between India and Pakistan is of global concern. "The timing cannot be worse," he warned.

Gao highlighted relevant parties should play a role to calm down India and Pakistan at the same time, adding diplomacy needs to kick in to prevent any hot head from continuing to pull the triggers.

"We need to not only care whatever that is happening between India and Pakistan, we also need to care about peace and security in the Indian subcontinent as a whole as in the world," he said.