India has fired missiles at Pakistan, two weeks after militants killed 26 people in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Pakistani authorities say India’s attack killed at least eight people. They are considering it an act of war.
India described the attack as “measured, responsible and designed to be non-escalatory,” targeting “only known terror camps”.
Here’s what you need to know.
Context
The region of Kashmir borders India, Pakistan, and China.
When Britain relinquished control of the Indian peninsula in 1947, it split the region into two countries — India and Pakistan.
Kashmir became a flashpoint of conflict between the new nations, with both fighting for control.
After the UN intervened, the area was officially split into Pakistani control in the north and Indian control in the south.
More conflicts have followed, driven by religious tensions between the Muslim majority in Pakistan and the Hindu majority in India.
Militant groups opposed to Indian rule also operate in the region. India has accused Pakistan of supporting these groups.
In 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a military crackdown on India’s section of Kashmir, and began to govern it directly.
April attack
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On 22 April, a group of militants opened fire at a tourist spot in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Modi called the killings a terrorist attack. His government has since said Pakistan supported the militant group.
Pakistan denied any involvement and offered to participate in an international investigation into the incident.
India has since withdrawn from a water-sharing treaty and ordered all Pakistanis to leave India. Pakistan responded in kind, cancelling Indian nationals’ visas and revoking treaties.
Today
International media has reported India fired missiles at Punjab and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, while Pakistan has said it shot down Indian Air Force planes.
India’s embassy in Washington released a statement defending its actions, saying it launched the attack after Pakistan failed to “take action” against the militants responsible for the earlier attack.
They maintained the missile strikes were “focused and precise,” and did not hit any “civilian, military or economic targets.”
In a statement, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sherif called the attacks “cowardly” and said “a resolute response is already underway.”
Schools and airports in parts of both countries have closed in the last few hours.
UN Secretary General António Guterres urged the countries to show restraint, saying: “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”
Both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons.
