India and Pakistan came dangerously close to full-scale war early Saturday after Pakistan’s military accused India of striking at least three of its airbases. Pakistan later announced retaliatory attacks on Indian airbases and a missile depot.
This exchange marked a sharp escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors, occurring just four days after their armed clash began on Wednesday.
Pakistan reported that India launched air-to-surface missile strikes on its bases, including a critical installation near Islamabad, the capital. Witnesses in Rawalpindi, a nearby garrison city, heard at least three loud explosions near Noor Khan Airbase. One witness described a “massive fireball” visible from several kilometers away.
In a televised statement, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the Pakistan army’s chief spokesperson, warned, “Now they only have to wait for our response,” accusing India of pushing the region toward a “dangerous war.”
Shortly after India’s reported strikes, Pakistani officials said they launched retaliatory attacks on multiple Indian locations, including the Udhampur and Pathankot airbases and a missile depot.
The Pakistan army described its campaign against India as “Operation Bunyan al-Marsus,” meaning a “firm and compact structure,” adding the response was “an eye for an eye.”
Following days of drone strikes and bombardments, India and Pakistan, long-standing adversaries, are engaged in their most intense military confrontation in decades. Both sides are employing new warfare technologies to enhance their offensive and intelligence-gathering capabilities.
On Friday, Indian defense officials stated that the Pakistan military attempted aerial incursions at 36 locations using “300 to 400” drones to probe India’s air defense systems.
The previous day, Pakistani military officials claimed to have shot down 25 Indian drones, including over Karachi and Rawalpindi, home to Pakistan’s main intelligence agency. Pakistani officials also told U.S. counterparts that India was engaging in “drone terrorism” by targeting civilian areas, although India has not commented on these drone operations.
While many countries possess unmanned aerial vehicles, this is the first time that two nuclear-armed neighbors have used drones against each other. Experts note that drone warfare, though perhaps inevitable, could reshape global perceptions of the India-Pakistan conflict, just as their nuclear capabilities did in the 1990s.
The conflict was triggered after militants killed 26 people last month in Indian-administered Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attack and vowed military action, which Pakistan denies.
Tensions escalated dramatically on Wednesday when India conducted airstrikes on Pakistani territory. Since then, both countries have engaged in increasingly intense exchanges of gunfire, drone attacks, accusations, counterclaims, and misinformation.
Diplomatic efforts, notably from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have failed to ease tensions. Both India and Pakistan have largely disregarded calls for calm from the United States and Europe.
On Friday, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations urged “maximum restraint” from both sides, warning that any further military escalation would pose a serious threat to regional stability.
Retired Indian Army commander Raj Shukla revealed that India has increased its drone arsenal. He highlighted loitering munitions—drones that hover over targets and strike at the optimal moment—as a “secret weapon” previously unused by the Indian military.
Both India and Pakistan have been developing their drone manufacturing industries in recent years, alongside importing UAVs from allied countries. However, experts say neither appears to possess drones capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Though the conflict is deeply concerning, drones generally represent the lowest level of conflict escalation, typically used to pressure and test enemy air defenses.
The clashes intensified after India’s airstrikes hit targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday morning. Pakistani authorities claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft. Fierce fighting broke out along the 740-kilometer Line of Control dividing the contested Kashmir region.
In Jammu, the Indian-administered Kashmir city, residents experienced a complete blackout but reported seeing drones and missiles overhead and hearing artillery fire. The shelling and gunfire along the border, which began Wednesday night, resumed Thursday night and ceased Friday morning.
Omar Abdullah, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian administration, stated that the city remained without electricity Friday night. “From where I am, intermittent explosions can be heard, likely from heavy artillery,” Abdullah posted on the social media platform X.
Both sides claim civilian casualties or injuries from the exchanges, though independent verification has been challenging.
Residents across Kashmir expressed exhaustion, with some describing the bombardments as the worst in nearly three decades.
“We are tired of fleeing every time the shelling begins,” said 70-year-old Atta Mohammad from Uri in Indian-administered Kashmir. “It would be better if both countries launched a nuclear war and ended our suffering.”
In Bandli, located in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, hundreds gathered Friday afternoon for the funeral prayers of 26-year-old Usman Khalid, who was killed in cross-border shelling.
“Several bombs and missiles rained down on our village,” said Tauqeer Ahmed, a Bandli resident. He added that many villagers stocked up on food and essentials, uncertain how long the tensions would last.
Sarvan Singh Pandher, a farmer living approximately 20 kilometers from the Pakistan border in Punjab, India, voiced concern over the escalating and unpredictable conflict.
“There is great fear among villagers of food and financial shortages, so we keep reserves ready and withdraw funds from banks,” said the 50-year-old Pandher.
There is still no indication that either country intends to de-escalate the situation.
When India announced its airstrikes on Wednesday against nine sites it identified as “terrorist infrastructure,” authorities claimed the operation was not meant to escalate tensions, leading many to expect a cooling of hostilities after heated rhetoric.
However, Indian officials repeatedly emphasized that their response would be “proportional,” implying any escalation would be met with equivalent retaliation.
Some analysts suggest India faces a difficult position. Abhinav Pandya, founder of the Usanas Foundation, an Indian foreign policy think tank, expects the conflict to continue in its current form with both sides deploying drones.
Pandya warned that any further escalation would likely require deployment of ground forces, a “very risky situation” that could result in significantly higher casualties.
At a press briefing, Pakistan’s military adopted a defiant tone, signaling that the conflict is unlikely to subside soon. “They sent their drones and are receiving an appropriate response,” Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said. “So, at the time, place, and method we choose, we will do what must be done. We owe nothing to anyone but the people of Pakistan.”
On Friday, the Indian army announced it was mobilizing thousands of soldiers from its volunteer reserve force to support ongoing military operations.
Both countries have suspended or relocated their lucrative cricket leagues due to security concerns. The Indian Premier League, one of the world’s richest sporting competitions, with franchises valued around $1 billion each, has paused matches for a week. Pakistan’s Super League announced it would move its remaining eight fixtures to the United Arab Emirates.
India and Pakistan, which became separate nations in 1947, have fought three wars, all involving the Kashmir dispute. The Line of Control dividing Kashmir was established in December 1971.
The rising tensions have left populations on edge.
“I have stocked up on supplies like rice, lentils, and flour,” said Ajay Sharma, a physiotherapist from Jaipur in Rajasthan, which borders Pakistan.
Sharma added he withdrew cash from banks as a precaution. “Although we have full faith in our military, the unpredictability of the situation means no one can say what will happen,” he noted.
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