24 Martyred, 61 Injured in Indian Missile Attacks Across Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab

A devastating series of Indian missile attacks and shelling across Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Punjab has left at least 24 people martyred and 61 injured, marking one of the deadliest escalations in the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. The strikes, which targeted civilian areas, places of worship, and residential neighborhoods, have intensified tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), with Pakistan reporting the destruction of six Indian Air Force (IAF) jets and a brigade headquarters in retaliation.

In Bahawalpur, Punjab, a missile strike on a residential area killed 13 civilians, including seven women, four men, and two children, while injuring 36 others. Patients are being treated at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, where emergency teams are stretched thin. Local resident Muhammad Sabir described the chaos, saying, “I heard three or four loud explosions in a row,” as the strike hit a mosque adjacent to a former Jaish-e-Mohammed site.

In Muzaffarabad, the capital of AJK, Indian shelling and missile attacks claimed nine lives and injured nine others. The Poonch Division was particularly hard-hit, with three civilians killed and four wounded in Nakial, Kotli, and two martyred in Haveli District. In Muzaffarabad, a small mosque’s minaret collapsed, and power outages swept the city, forcing schools to close across AJK, Islamabad, and Punjab.

In Muridke, Punjab, a Government Health and Educational Complex was struck, killing two and injuring 12, many critically. Rescue operations continue as teams search for survivors amid the rubble. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, condemned the attacks, noting that 24 strikes hit six locations, including Ahmedpur East, Shakargarh, Sialkot (Kotli Lohara), and Kotli. “These were deliberate attacks on civilians,” Chaudhry said, reporting eight initial deaths and 35 injuries.

The strikes are part of India’s “Operation Sindoor,” launched in response to the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists. India claims the strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke, alleging Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack—a charge Islamabad denies. Indian officials reported 70 terrorists killed, though Pakistan insists the targets were civilian.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) downed six IAF jets, including three Rafales, one MiG-29, and one Su-30, and destroyed the headquarters of India’s 12th Infantry Brigade. “We will respond with full force,” Asif vowed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the strikes an “act of war,” promising a “befitting reply.”

International concern is mounting. Türkiye and China condemned India’s actions, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressing solidarity with Pakistan and China urging restraint. U.S. President Donald Trump called the strikes “a shame,” while UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned against a nuclear confrontation.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s KSE-100 Index crashed over 6,500 points on Wednesday, reflecting economic fallout. As both nations fortify their positions along the LoC, the region teeters on the brink, with analysts warning that without urgent diplomacy, the conflict could spiral further.