India Launches Attacks on Targets in Pakistan

What Happened?

Yesterday India’s military launched attacks against at least nine targets in Pakistan in retaliation for the terrorist attack that took place last month in India controlled Kashmir.  A statement by India’s military command said that no military targets in Pakistan were hit, and that the strikes were ‘focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature.’

Pakistan immediately condemned the attacks, with Pakistan’s Defense Minister saying, ‘India has shamelessly attacked the civilian population, and the attack will be answered accordingly.’ A later statement from Pakistani officials indicated that no Indian warplanes had crossed into Pakistan’s airspace.

Why it Matters

Since 2019, both India and Pakistan have substantially increased their military capabilities, adding new weapons systems, improved technology, and additional manpower to their armed forces. Long time enemies, the two nations are now more heavily armed than ever. The potential for a new conflict to erupt between India and Pakistan has gotten Russia’s attention, as Russia’s Foreign Minister has offered to mediate to prevent war.

India and Pakistan have a long history of confrontations over the disputed region of Kashmir, which is claimed by both countries. The most recent round of violence came in 2019 following a similar terrorist attack which sparked a confrontation between the two nuclear armed neighbors. Last month a terrorist attack in Indian controlled Kashmir killed at least twenty-six people, and all the fatalities were Hindu, which prompted promises of retaliation from India.

Similarly, India’s attacks have elicited vows of a military response from Pakistan, and it is likely Pakistan’s armed forces could retaliate in the coming days against India. The exact targets hit by India remain unknown, but several were likely in the Pakistani-administered portion of Kashmir. With no reports of aircraft being involved by either side, it appears India used missiles to carry out the attacks. 

Militant groups in and around Kashmir have long had ties to Pakistan’s military, though most of the connections are indirect rather than overt. Pakistan often covertly supplies weapons and funds to militant groups who take their lead from Islamabad. The more extreme groups tend to be the ones who undertake violent action, which in turn is rewarded by Pakistan with more arms and cash. That is part of the reason why so many militant extremist groups operate in or around Kashmir. 

Pakistan’s Prime Minister called India’s attacks an act of war, and the potential for the situation to spiral out of control is certainly present. India and Pakistan are experienced enemies, meaning they’ve fought each other enough times that their leaders know how to keep things from escalating too far.

How it Affects You

Pakistan has urged the United States to lead an investigation into the attacks in Kashmir, but thus far the Trump Administration has shown little inclination to get involved. Because India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers, any armed conflict between them is dangerous.