India and Pakistan have a long history of political and military tensions, with Kashmir being a central point of contention between the two nations. The conflict between these two nuclear-armed countries has once again flared up in 2025, following a significant military operation launched by India. The latest escalation has led to a series of attacks, and the situation remains tense, with both countries accusing each other of provoking the violence. This article will provide an in-depth look at the events that caused the 2025 conflict, the details of India’s military operation, and the international community’s response to the rising tensions.
What Sparked the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict?
The latest round of conflict between India and Pakistan started in the wake of an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. On May 7, 2025, India accused Pakistan-based terrorist groups of carrying out violent acts in the region. These militant groups have long been a source of friction between the two countries, with India blaming them for multiple attacks on Indian forces in the disputed region of Kashmir.
India’s government stated that these groups were operating with the support and shelter of Pakistan, which has consistently denied these allegations. The most recent attack in Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of several Indian soldiers, acted as the immediate catalyst for India’s military response.
Following the attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a large-scale military operation aimed at eliminating the alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. India described the operation as a necessary measure to protect its sovereignty and to prevent further attacks on its territory. The operation marked the first time since 2019 that India had launched an attack inside Pakistan’s borders, further escalating the already volatile situation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Inside Operation Sindoor: India’s Missile Strikes Explained
India’s military operation, named “Operation Sindoor,” began with a series of missile strikes that targeted multiple locations inside Pakistan. The operation specifically aimed at what India claimed were terrorist infrastructure sites. According to the Indian government, these sites were being used by militant groups to plan and launch attacks against Indian forces and civilians in Kashmir.
Source: X
The missile strikes hit several key locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. These included Kotli, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Ahmadpur East, and Muridke. The Indian government reported that the operation had successfully destroyed several camps and weapon storage facilities used by these militant groups.
India carried out Operation Sindoor in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at 1:44 AM on May 7, 2025. The operation targeted nine terror sites, including Bahawalpur, a known stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit. India’s Defence Ministry released a statement at 1:44 AM confirming the strikes. The military operation was described as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory.” The Indian statement emphasized that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted, and considerable restraint was shown in the selection of targets and execution.
India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, expressed national pride after the operation, posting on ‘X’ in Hindi: “Long live Mother India! (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)”. While India confirmed the precision of its strike, Pakistani authorities condemned the action as a violation of international sovereignty.
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What Did India Target in the Attack on Pakistan?
India’s military operation was specifically focused on what it described as terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Indian officials claimed that the missile strikes targeted militant training camps, weapon storage depots, and facilities used by groups that were allegedly responsible for planning and executing attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
The Indian government has long accused Pakistan of harboring and supporting these militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which are designated as terrorist organizations by India and several other countries. These groups have been involved in numerous attacks on Indian soil, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2016 Uri attack. India views these groups as major threats to its national security and has repeatedly called on Pakistan to take action against them.
Source: AP Photos
The attack specifically targeted sites that India claimed were responsible for the 2025 Pahalgam massacre. This massacre, which occurred in Pahalgam, saw the deaths of 26 people, including 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. India’s operation came as a direct retaliation for this terrorist attack, with India’s Defence Ministry stating that the perpetrators would be held accountable.
How Did Pakistan Respond to India’s Strikes?
Pakistan swiftly condemned India’s missile strikes, calling them an illegal and aggressive act of military escalation. Pakistani officials denied India’s claims that it had targeted terrorist camps and instead accused India of attacking civilian areas. Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, stated that civilians, including women and children, had been killed in the strikes.
In response to India’s actions, Pakistan vowed to retaliate. The Pakistani government emphasized that it would defend its territorial integrity and protect its citizens from any further attacks. Pakistan’s military issued a statement saying that the country would not hesitate to take appropriate action in response to any further military operations by India.
Pakistan also called on the international community to intervene and de-escalate the situation. Pakistani officials pointed to the violation of international law and demanded that India be held accountable for its actions. In addition, Pakistan invited international media to visit the affected areas to verify the claims of civilian casualties and to investigate the damage caused by the strikes.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the missile strikes, referring to them as an “act of war” and asserted that Pakistan had every right to give a “befitting reply.” The Pakistan Army also emphasized that it would respond to the strikes at a time and place of its choosing.
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The Role of Kashmir in the Ongoing Tensions
Source: Stringer/Reuters
Kashmir remains the root cause of the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. Both India and Pakistan claim the region in full, but each controls only part of it. India administers Jammu and Kashmir, while Pakistan controls the region known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan. The territorial dispute over Kashmir has led to several wars between the two countries and remains a flashpoint for violence and military confrontations.
The situation in Kashmir is further complicated by the presence of militant groups, some of which advocate for Kashmir’s independence or its merger with Pakistan. These groups have been engaged in violent uprisings in Indian-controlled Kashmir for decades, with the region experiencing a high level of militarization on both sides of the border.
India accuses Pakistan of providing support and protection to these militant groups, which Islamabad denies. Despite several peace talks over the years, the Kashmir issue remains unresolved, and both countries continue to engage in military skirmishes over the region. The 2025 conflict is, in many ways, a continuation of this larger dispute.
Is This the Start of a Full-Scale India-Pakistan War?
While the recent escalation between India and Pakistan is worrying, it is unclear if it will lead to a full-scale war. Both countries possess nuclear weapons, which has made the prospect of full-scale war highly dangerous for the region and the world. A direct confrontation between the two nuclear-armed nations could have terrible consequences, not only for India and Pakistan but for the wider South Asian region.
Despite the severity of the missile strikes, both countries have expressed their commitment to avoiding all-out war. India has indicated that the strikes were a targeted operation to eliminate terrorist infrastructure, not an attempt to engage in a broader military conflict. Similarly, Pakistan has said that it will retaliate but has not yet escalated the conflict to a full-scale war.
The international community has called for restraint on both sides. The United Nations, the United States, and other global powers have expressed concern about the escalating violence and urged both India and Pakistan to resolve the situation. The United Nations has also stressed the importance of resolving the Kashmir issue through peaceful negotiations to avoid further violence.
World Responds to the India-Pakistan Conflict
The global response to the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan has been one of concern. The United States, through President Donald Trump, expressed regret over the violence, calling India’s actions “a shame” and urging both countries to end the violence quickly. The U.S. State Department stated that it was “closely monitoring” developments and expressed hope that the situation would not escalate further.
Other international bodies, including the United Nations, have also called for peace and dialogue between the two nations. The UN Secretary-General issued a statement urging both India and Pakistan to avoid further military actions and to work towards de-escalating the situation.
China, which has longstanding ties with both India and Pakistan, has also called for restraint. Beijing expressed concern about the rising tensions and emphasized the need for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.
In addition, countries in South Asia and beyond have expressed solidarity with the people of Kashmir, highlighting the humanitarian crisis in the region. The situation in Kashmir remains a major concern for the international community, with calls for the protection of civilians and an end to the violence.
FAQs on India-Pakistan War
1. Why is India attacking Pakistan in 2025?
India launched military strikes in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, including one Nepali citizen. The Indian government blamed the attack on terrorist groups operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
2. What caused the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict?
The conflict began after India accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups operating in Kashmir, leading to India’s military strikes on several locations in Pakistan.
3. What did India target in the missile strikes?
India targeted what it called terrorist infrastructure, including militant camps and weapon storage facilities in both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
4. How did Pakistan respond to India’s missile strikes?
Pakistan criticized the strikes, saying that India targeted civilian areas and caused harm to people. Pakistan promised to respond and protect its land.
5. What role does Kashmir play in the India-Pakistan conflict?
Kashmir is a disputed region claimed by both India and Pakistan. The conflict over Kashmir has been the main source of tension between the two countries for decades.
6. How has the international community responded?
The international community, including the United States, the United Nations, and China, has urged both India and Pakistan to de-escalate the situation and avoid further violence.
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