Rising threat of war between nuclear rivals after deadly Indian strikes and Pakistan downing 5 Indian jets
India and Pakistan edged dangerously close to direct conflict on May 7, 2025, for the first time since 2019, following India’s most extensive and lethal strikes inside Pakistani territory in decades.
In a dramatic escalation, Indian forces launched coordinated missile attacks on targets in both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, prompting Islamabad to respond and shooting down five Indian fighter jets and vowing to retaliate “at a time and place of its choosing.”
As the crisis unfolded, India briefed over a dozen foreign diplomats in New Delhi, warning that “if Pakistan responds, India will respond.” The exchange has sparked alarm among global powers, reigniting fears of a wider military confrontation between two nuclear-armed nations in one of the world’s most volatile—and densely populated—strategic regions.
Since May7, tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated following a deadly exchange of missile strikes, artillery fire, and aerial combat along the Line of Control (LoC), raising fears of a full-scale conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
India launched air and missile strikes early Wednesday, targeting what it claimed were “terrorist infrastructure” sites across nine locations in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes were carried out in retaliation for an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based militants. Islamabad has repeatedly denied involvement in the attack.
According to Pakistan’s military, the Indian strikes killed at least 26 civilians, including a three-year-old girl, and injured 46 others. Pakistani officials further stated that five Indian fighter jets and a drone were shot down in “self-defense.” India has not confirmed the aircraft losses but acknowledged its military conducted what it described as a “focused, measured and non-escalatory” operation.
Pakistan shoot down 5 Indian jets in retaliation for airstrikes
Pakistan’s military claims its air force shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three French-made Rafales, in response to Indian airstrikes on Pakistani territory. Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif said the jets were targeted in Pakistani airspace after India launched attacks across the border.
Pakistani military sources said the downed aircraft included a MiG-29, an SU-30, and a drone, all shot down in what they described as an act of “self-defense.” Three Indian fighter jets reportedly crashed in Jammu and Kashmir, according to local Indian officials, though India has not confirmed the claims.
On May 7, 2025, defense monitor Clash Report confirmed that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) used the Chinese-made PL-15E long-range missile in combat for the first time, with Indian authorities recovering missile debris in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, with multiple sources, including Indian officials, confirming at least two crashes. A French official also verified the loss of one of India’s Rafale fighters. The exact details of the air war remain unclear, but the use of the PL-15 missile appears certain.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the Pakistan Air Force for its swift retaliation, describing an “hour-long air battle” in which Indian aircraft were “reduced to smithereens.” He warned that Pakistan would avenge the deaths of civilians killed in India’s earlier strikes, which Islamabad says claimed 31 lives.
Sharif also accused India of falsely linking Pakistan to an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir and said New Delhi ignored Pakistan’s call for an international investigation. He claimed Pakistani forces jammed communications during a recent attempted Indian incursion, forcing enemy jets to retreat in confusion.
Pakistan wows response after “Act of War” by India
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Indian strikes as an “act of war”, warning that Islamabad would respond at “a time, place and manner of its choosing.” Following an emergency meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), Sharif authorized the military to undertake “corresponding actions” and called on the nation to remain “resolute in the face of aggression.”
“Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” Sharif told parliament. Praising the “brave and valiant” Pakistani Air Force, he claimed five Indian aircraft had been downed, including three Rafale fighter jets, though these claims remain unverified by independent sources.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan will only hit military targets in India. “We will never target civilians,” he said in an interview on Pakistani news channel Geo News. “We will abide by international law. We will contain this international confrontation to military targets only.”
Civilian toll mounts on both sides
As both sides exchanged artillery fire across the LoC following the airstrikes, civilian areas bore the brunt. Pakistan said five civilians were killed in shelling near the LoC, while Indian officials reported at least 12 deaths and over 30 injuries in retaliatory shelling from Pakistan.
“There were terrible sounds at night, there was panic among the people,” said Muhammed Salman, a resident of Muzaffarabad, the largest city in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Jamila Bibi, a 52-year-old mother, added, “The children are very scared… now we are moving to the house of our relatives.”
The Indian military insists it only struck militant infrastructure and denied deliberately targeting civilians. “The operation was proportionate, focused, and aimed at preventing future terrorist attacks,” an Indian defense official stated. However, Pakistan’s Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif accused India of intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure, including a mosque, a school, and a water intake structure at the Noseri Dam.
Escalation risks and global calls for restraint
As fighter jets roared across the skies of Kashmir and missile impacts lit up border villages, international concern mounted and expressed willingness to “continue playing a constructive role in easing the current tensions.” China, a key regional stakeholder, called for restraint. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that “India and Pakistan are neighbors that cannot be moved, and both are also neighbors of China”. He added: “China opposes all forms of terrorism and calls on both India and Pakistan to prioritize peace and stability, remain calm and exercise restraint, and avoid actions that could further complicate the situation.”
U.S. President Donald Trump called for an immediate end to hostilities between India and Pakistan, expressing his willingness to mediate as tensions between the two nations escalate. “I want to see it stop. And if I can do anything to help, I will be there,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. Earlier, President Trump described the growing conflict as “a shame,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in talks with officials from both nuclear-armed countries following India’s strikes on several targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Russia urged both countries to seek a peaceful resolution and condemned the underlying terrorist attack that sparked the escalation. “We are deeply concerned about the escalation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack near Pahalgam,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. “Russia strongly condemns acts of terrorism, opposes any manifestation of terrorism, and emphasizes the need to unite the entire international community to effectively combat this evil.”
The United Kingdom also expressed alarm, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy urging direct dialogue. “If this escalates further, nobody wins,” Lammy warned, advising British citizens against travel to the India-Pakistan border region.
Diplomatic Fallout and Strategic Uncertainty
The violence marks the most significant military exchange between India and Pakistan in recent years. The situation is particularly volatile given the history of conflict over Kashmir, one of the most militarized regions in the world. Both countries have fought multiple wars over the territory since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, facing domestic pressure to respond to the April 22 attack that killed over two dozen civilians in Pahalgam, cancelled a planned trip to Europe. Meanwhile, Pakistan moved tanks closer to the LoC, signaling readiness for further military engagement.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif warned that the strikes were an “invitation to expand the conflict,” adding: “We are prepared for an all-out war… We can’t be caught with our guards down.”
Flights rerouted, regional tensions intensify
The conflict has also impacted civilian aviation. Multiple airlines have rerouted or cancelled flights over the region. The airport in Srinagar, the largest city in Indian-administered Kashmir, was closed to civilian traffic as airspace over parts of Pakistan and northwestern India remains restricted.
Flight-tracking services showed commercial aircraft giving the region a wide berth, reflecting broader regional anxieties about air safety and escalation.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry earlier said that there were 57 flights in the air when India launched its attack on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir early Wednesday local time. “There were multiple flights that were in the air at the time and the lives of the thousands of passengers on them were put in danger,” he said.
While both nations claim to be acting in self-defense, the scale of military engagement, the loss of civilian lives, and the high-profile political rhetoric suggest the confrontation has entered a perilous new phase. With India and Pakistan both possessing nuclear arsenals, analysts warn that without urgent de-escalation, the region—and the world—could face devastating consequences.
As international actors push for restraint, the next steps taken by New Delhi and Islamabad will likely define not only the trajectory of bilateral relations but also regional stability in South Asia.