13 civilians killed in Pakistani Kashmir amid escalating India-Pakistan conflict

Reuters

At least 13 civilians have been killed and over 50 injured in Pakistani Kashmir within 12 hours, as military strikes and cross-border shelling intensify between India and Pakistan following Islamabad's launch of Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos.

A deadly escalation between India and Pakistan has left at least 13 civilians dead and more than 50 injured in Pakistani-administered Kashmir as of Saturday noon, the region's disaster management authority confirmed. The casualties come amid a wave of military strikes exchanged by the nuclear-armed neighbors over the past several days.

The Pakistani military launched a large-scale retaliatory offensive early Saturday, dubbed Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos or "Iron Wall," targeting Indian military installations. Islamabad says the strikes were in direct response to Operation Sindoor, an Indian military campaign on May 6 that killed 33 people and injured 62 in Pakistan.

Pakistan claims it targeted key Indian military facilities, including a missile storage site in the Beas region, and used Al-Fatah missiles named in honor of Pakistani children killed in earlier Indian strikes. State media also reported that Pakistani drones were seen operating over India’s capital, New Delhi.

The situation further deteriorated after Indian missiles reportedly struck multiple Pakistan Air Force bases, including the Noor Khan Airbase near Islamabad, according to Pakistan Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry.

India, for its part, has justified its actions as a response to a deadly attack last month on Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir, blaming Islamabad for supporting the perpetrators—an accusation Pakistan strongly denies.

Cross-border hostilities, including artillery fire, drone incursions, and missile exchanges, have intensified since Wednesday. A total of 48 deaths have been reported so far, though independent verification remains difficult amid the active conflict.

With tensions rapidly escalating and civilian casualties mounting, international observers are voicing concerns over the possibility of a broader regional war between the two nuclear states.

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