New Delhi: India has targeted three airbases in Pakistan—Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Murid in Chakwal, and Rafiqui in Jhang—following claims made by Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, during a press briefing early Saturday.
This escalation follows India’s response to Pakistani drone strikes on 26 locations across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat on Friday night, which resulted in injuries to three civilians in Ferozepur, Punjab. On Saturday morning, residents in several cities, including Srinagar, Jammu, and Rajouri, reported loud explosions amid ongoing shelling from Pakistan.
The airstrikes on the night of Friday-Saturday were confirmed shortly after Lt Gen Chaudhry’s statements. Additionally, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority announced the closure of its airspace to all flights from 3:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time on May 10, 2025. In light of the escalating military tensions, the G7 nations have called for both countries to exercise maximum restraint and engage in direct dialogue, condemning the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in 26 fatalities, primarily among tourists.
The G7 Foreign Ministers expressed their strong condemnation of the attack and emphasized the need for restraint to prevent further military escalation, which threatens regional stability and civilian safety.
Loud detonations have been reported in multiple cities throughout Jammu and Kashmir, including Srinagar, Jammu, Rajouri, Udhampur, and others since the early hours of Saturday morning. Rajouri’s Additional District Development Commissioner, Raj Kumar Thappa, tragically lost his life when his residence was struck by shelling from Pakistan on Saturday morning.
In remembrance of Thappa, Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah noted that he had been accompanying the state’s Deputy Chief Minister in Rajouri district the previous day and had also participated in an online meeting led by the Chief Minister. Abdullah further addressed the international community’s calls for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, expressing skepticism in a post on X, stating, “I’m not sure how the “International Community” thinks the current tension in the subcontinent will be de-escalated when the IMF essentially reimburses Pakistan for all the ordnance it is using to devastate Poonch, Rajouri, Uri, Tangdhar & so many other places.”
