New Delhi has claimed it was targeting terrorist sites in an overnight raid

Pakistan has accused India of killing civilians in a cross-border military operation overnight and promised a forceful response. In the attacks, Indian forces targeted what New Delhi described as "terrorist camps" in the neighboring country.

The escalation follows a terrorist attack in India's Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory that left 26 civilians dead last month. The Indian government has accused Islamabad of harboring an armed group linked to the incident and characterized the pre-dawn missile and drone strike on Wednesday as retaliation.

The Pakistani National Security Committee (NSC) has dismissed India's justification for the military action, calling it an "unprovoked, cowardly and unlawful act of war" in a statement issued after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Islamabad maintains the targeted sites were civilian areas and that the terrorist camps described by India are "imaginary." Reports from Pakistan have mentioned at least 26 fatalities and 46 injuries. The NSC also claimed that Pakistani forces downed five Indian aircraft involved in the operation, including fighter jets and drones.

"Pakistan reserves the right to respond, in self-defense, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing," the statement warned, urging the international community to hold New Delhi accountable for alleged violations of international law.

New Delhi described its Operation Sindoor as "focused, measured and non-escalatory," targeting locations associated with the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The April attack was claimed by a group called The Resistance Front, reportedly an offshoot of LeT, which India identified as the mastermind behind the incident.

Russia has condemned the initial attack in Kashmir, with the Foreign Ministrystatingthat Moscow "objects to any terrorist activities and emphasizes the need for the international community to unite to effectively fight against this evil." The country has urged both New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint and pursue diplomatic solutions to their differences.

(RT.com)