Fears that the countries' nuclear arsenals might come into
play spiked when the Pakistan military said a top military and civil body
overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet, but the defence minister later said
no such meeting was scheduled.
As tensions remain high, residents across Pakistan and India
have rushed to stockpile food and other essential supplies, while
families living near the border fled to safer areas. Indian authorities have
installed sirens in high-rise buildings in New Delhi, some 650 kilometres (400
miles) from the border.
Pakistan early on Saturday said it had targeted multiple
bases in India, including a missile storage site in India's north, in response
to prior attacks by the Indian military.
India said there was limited damage to equipment and
personnel at four air force stations. The military said there were several
high-speed missile attacks on air bases in Punjab state and that India had
responded to the attacks.
Five civilians were killed in the attacks in the Jammu
region of Indian Kashmir, regional police said. Hindu-majority India and
Islamic Pakistan both claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part.
Blasts rang out across Indian Kashmir and the Sikh holy city
of Amritsar in neighbouring Punjab until early morning on Saturday. Jammu
streets were empty hours after loud blasts were heard and projectiles were seen
flying across the city sky.
"Jammu city has never been hit before. Never thought we
will be hit like this," said 60-year-old Rajeev Gupta, whose brother was
wounded by a shell.
Pakistan said that, before its offensive, India had fired
missiles at three air bases, including one close to the capital, Islamabad, but
Pakistani air defences intercepted most of them.
Locked in a longstanding dispute over Kashmir, the two
countries have engaged in daily clashes since Wednesday when India launched
strikes inside Pakistan on what it called "terrorist infrastructure".
Pakistan vowed to retaliate.
Pakistan's information minister said in a post on X that
Saturday's military operation was named "Operation Bunyanun Marsoos".
The term is taken from the Koran and means a firm, united structure.
India has said its strikes on Wednesday, which started the
latest round of clashes that have left more than 50 people dead in both
countries, were in retaliation for a deadly attack on Hindu tourists in Indian
Kashmir last month.
Pakistan denied India's accusations that it was involved in
the tourist attack. Since Wednesday, the two countries have exchanged
cross-border fire and shelling, and sent drones and missiles into each other's
airspace.
Despite growing Western calls for peace, defence experts
said the opposite seemed to be happening.
"Operations moving to next level - free use of missiles
and drones by both sides," said Pravin Sawhney, a defence author and
former Indian Army officer. "And reports that Pakistan Army is moving
troops forward. Not good indications of what lies ahead!"
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