Latest News: India Launches Military Strikes on Pakistan Following Tourist Massacre
India has launched military strikes on targets in Pakistan early Wednesday morning, May 7, 2025, targeting what it calls "terrorist infrastructure" across nine sites in Pakistan's Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes come in response to the April 22 massacre of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, which New Delhi blames on its neighbor. Pakistan has claimed it shot down five Indian aircraft and vowed to retaliate, marking the worst clash in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors. According to CNN.
What is the India-Pakistan Conflict? A Historical Perspective
The India-Pakistan conflict represents one of the world's most dangerous and enduring geopolitical tensions, with roots dating back to the 1947 partition of British India. When the British colonial rulers departed the subcontinent, they divided the territory into two independent nations – predominantly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan – triggering one of history's largest mass migrations and horrific communal violence.
At the heart of this conflict lies Kashmir, a breathtakingly beautiful Himalayan region that both countries claim in its entirety but control only partially. The princely state's fate remained undecided during partition, creating a territorial dispute that has fueled three full-scale wars between the nuclear-armed neighbors (1947, 1965, and 1999's Kargil conflict), alongside numerous smaller skirmishes and standoffs.
The first India-Pakistan war erupted shortly after independence when Pakistan supported an invasion of Kashmir by tribal forces. The conflict ended with a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1949, establishing the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between Indian and Pakistani administration to this day.
How did the Current Kashmir Dispute Evolve?
The Kashmir dispute evolved from a territorial disagreement into a complex conflict involving issues of self-determination, religious identity, and competing nationalisms. Here's how the situation developed over decades:
Initial Status and Early Tensions
After partition, the Hindu ruler of Muslim-majority Kashmir signed an instrument of accession to India following an invasion by Pakistani tribesmen. This controversial accession has been the foundation of India's claim, while Pakistan maintains that Kashmiris should have been allowed to determine their own future through a plebiscite promised in UN resolutions.
Rising Militancy and Internal Conflict
The 1980s marked a turning point when an armed insurgency erupted in Indian-administered Kashmir. What began as a movement for independence gradually transformed as Pakistan allegedly provided support to various militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, organizations that India claims are responsible for numerous terror attacks.
Nuclear Dimension
The conflict took on an even more dangerous dimension when both countries conducted nuclear tests in 1998, transforming Kashmir into one of the world's most concerning nuclear flashpoints. Every military escalation since then has carried the risk of potentially catastrophic consequences.
Recent Escalations
The tensions have periodically flared into direct military confrontations. In 2019, following a terrorist attack on Indian paramilitary personnel in Pulwama, India conducted airstrikes inside Pakistan for the first time since the 1971 war, leading to aerial dogfights between the two countries' air forces.
What Triggered the Latest Crisis in May 2025?
The current escalation was triggered by an April 22, 2025 attack by militants in a popular tourist area in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, making it the deadliest assault on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The attack occurred in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in the Anantnag district, with eyewitnesses reporting that assailants questioned potential victims about their religious identity before opening fire, specifically targeting non-Muslims.
India has blamed Pakistan for the attack, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to pursue the attackers "to the ends of the earth" in a fiery speech. The attack set off an escalating tit-for-tat exchange of hostilities between the two countries.
The diplomatic fallout has been severe:
India's Response:
- Expelled Pakistani diplomats
- Recalled its own diplomatic staff from Pakistan
- Suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals
- Closed borders
- Announced withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty (a critical water-sharing agreement)
Pakistan's Response:
- Denied any involvement in the attack
- Suspended the Shimla Agreement of 1972
- Closed airspace to Indian airlines
- Implemented trade restrictions
- Expelled Indian diplomats
What is Happening Now? Current Military Operations
The situation has dramatically escalated with India's "Operation Sindoor," launching missile strikes early Wednesday morning targeting nine sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India claims these strikes focused on "terrorist infrastructure" and were "measured and non-escalatory in nature," specifically avoiding Pakistani military facilities.
The Indian Air Force reportedly deployed Rafale jets armed with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs in the 23 minute-long operation. The nine locations struck included Bahawalpur, Muridke, Tehra Kalan, Sialkot, Bhimber, Kotli and Muzaffarabad, targeting what India claims were terror camps and headquarters of militant groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Pakistan has responded by claiming it shot down five Indian aircraft, including sophisticated Rafale jets, MiG-29 and SU-30 fighters. Pakistan reported that at least 26 people were killed in Wednesday's strikes, including women and children, with 46 wounded. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has described the strikes as "an act of war" and vowed retaliation.
Why Does This Conflict Matter to the World?
The India-Pakistan conflict carries significant global implications:
Nuclear Risk
Both nations possess substantial nuclear arsenals, estimated at 160+ warheads each, with delivery systems including ballistic missiles, aircraft, and potentially sea-based platforms. Any major conflict carries the risk of nuclear escalation, which would have catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences extending far beyond South Asia.
Economic Impact
The current crisis comes at a particularly difficult economic time for both countries. India is in the midst of crucial trade negotiations with the US, hoping to avoid President Trump's "reciprocal tariffs," while Pakistan's $350 billion economy recently emerged from a crisis as the government attempts to shore up finances and make progress on its $7 billion IMF loan program from 2024.
Regional Stability
The conflict affects stability across South Asia, a region home to nearly a quarter of humanity. Other regional powers like China (which also claims part of Kashmir) have been drawn into the tensions, complicating the geopolitical landscape.
Global Security Concerns
Terrorist groups have exploited the Kashmir conflict as a recruiting tool and operational base, with implications for global counterterrorism efforts.
International Responses to the Crisis
The international community has responded with calls for restraint:
United States
US Vice President JD Vance has stated that Washington hopes Pakistan will help hunt down the militants behind the tourist attack, while also urging India to act with restraint to prevent tensions from exploding into war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been closely monitoring the situation after being advised by India's National Security Advisor.
China
China's foreign minister Wang Yi spoke with Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, stating that any conflict between Pakistan and India would "not serve the fundamental interests of each side" and posed a risk to regional security.
Other Nations
Russia and the United Kingdom have issued travel advisories warning their citizens against traveling to Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, citing increased security risks in the region. Iran has offered to mediate a solution aimed at de-escalation.
What Might Happen Next? Analysis and Projection
The current crisis represents a dangerous escalation that could develop in several directions:
Limited Military Exchange
The most likely short-term scenario is a limited military exchange similar to 2019, with Pakistan conducting retaliatory strikes while both sides attempt to avoid major escalation. This pattern has occurred before, with each side claiming victories for domestic audiences before de-escalating.
Diplomatic Re-engagement
International pressure, particularly from the United States and China, could push both sides toward dialogue. The suspension of key agreements like the Indus Waters Treaty and Shimla Agreement creates both risks and opportunities for new diplomatic frameworks.
Prolonged Tensions
The conflict could settle into a prolonged period of heightened tensions and sporadic violence along the Line of Control, exacerbating the humanitarian situation for Kashmiris caught in the crossfire.
Major Conflict Risk
Military analysts note conditions may be ripe for greater conflict now than in 2019. India maintains significant conventional military advantages, with a defense budget more than nine times Pakistan's, an active-duty force of almost 1.5 million personnel compared to Pakistan's 660,000, and substantial advantages in equipment like battle tanks, artillery pieces, and naval assets. This disparity could influence both nations' strategic calculations.
Is Peace Possible in Kashmir?
While immediate prospects for peace appear dim amid the current escalation, historical examples of conflict resolution offer some hope for Kashmir's future:
Confidence-Building Measures
Previous periods of détente have featured cross-border trade, cultural exchanges, and family visitation programs that built goodwill. These could be revived and expanded.
International Mediation
While India has traditionally rejected third-party involvement, the current crisis may create openings for discreet international facilitation of dialogue.
Addressing Root Causes
Any sustainable peace must address Kashmiris' legitimate grievances and aspirations, including human rights concerns, economic development, and political representation.
Civil Society Initiatives
Track II diplomacy and people-to-people contacts have sometimes succeeded where official channels failed, creating constituencies for peace on both sides.
Conclusion: The Path Forward
The India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir represents one of the world's most intractable and dangerous disputes. The current escalation following the Pahalgam attack and India's retaliatory strikes has raised fears of a wider conflict between nuclear-armed neighbors that could have devastating regional and global consequences.
While military confrontation dominates headlines, history suggests that only dialogue, diplomacy, and addressing root causes can provide lasting solutions. The international community has a critical role to play in encouraging restraint and facilitating engagement between the parties.
For the people of Kashmir, caught between competing nationalisms and militaries for decades, the path to peace remains elusive but essential. Understanding this complex conflict's historical roots, current dynamics, and potential futures is crucial for anyone seeking to contribute to its resolution.
As this crisis unfolds, the world watches with concern, hoping that cooler heads will prevail in a region where nuclear weapons make escalation particularly dangerous and the human costs of continued conflict unconscionably high.
