Pakistan's Punjab Declares State of Emergency after Indian Strikes
Ahmed Emam
Pakistani Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has announced a state of emergency in the province, placing hospitals and security forces on high alert in response to the missile attack from India.
All doctors and medical staff in Punjab's hospitals have had their leaves cancelled, said News.Az, adding that officers and staff from civil defence and other relevant departments have been called to duty.
In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the Pakistani military is taking action against the Indian agreasion, although he did not provide specific details regarding the nature of the response.
Reports from Pakistani television, citing security officials, indicated that the Pakistani Air Force successfully intercepted and shot down five Indian fighter jets.
According to Reuters, sources revealed that heavy exchanges of fire were occurring between the Indian and Pakistani armies at three different locations along the Kashmir border.
Furthermore, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif reported that all locations targeted by India were civilian areas rather than militant camps, asserting that India's claim of targeting terrorist facilities was untrue.
Pakistani military spokesperson confirmed that the Indian attack resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals and injuries to twelve others. The spokesperson also mentioned that preparations for Islamabad's response to the missile attack are underway, highlighting that at least two mosques were among the targets of the Indian assault.
The Pakistani military emphasized that India will face a thorough and decisive retaliation.
On the other hand, the Indian military accused Pakistan of breaching the ceasefire agreement in Jammu and Kashmir once again.
Reuters reported, based on an Indian military statement, that an operation was conducted to target terrorist infrastructure in both Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in strikes on nine Pakistani positions.
The Indian military affirmed that no Pakistani military installations were targeted, adding in a Twitter post, 'Justice has been served.'
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