Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 8 called for heightened vigilance and interagency coordination to safeguard national security, marking his first public remarks since India launched a military strike against Pakistan in the early hours of May 7. Codenamed "Operation Vermilion," the attack targeted nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirming the operation remained "ongoing" during a cross-party briefing.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the strikes during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing India of killing 31 civilians, injuring 57, and damaging critical infrastructure. Sharif denounced the strikes as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and a threat to regional stability, vowing to defend territorial integrity "at all costs" while invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter to assert Pakistan's right to self-defense. Rubio reiterated U.S. concerns over escalating tensions and urged both sides to pursue dialogue, though India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar defended the strikes as necessary for "preemptive deterrence."
Overnight on May 8, explosions were reported in India's Rajasthan region, followed by power outages in parts of Indian-administered Kashmir. India claimed its S-400 air defense systems intercepted eight Pakistani missiles, while Pakistan's state media asserted a retaliatory strike on May 9 destroyed an Indian military command post. Neither side confirmed casualties, but the exchanges mark the most serious escalation since the 2019 Balakot crisis.
As diplomatic pressures mounted, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar discussed the crisis with Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, thanking Brussels for its support while condemning India's "blatant aggression." Analysts warn the conflict risks spiraling, with India's strikes reflecting Modi's hardened stance amid domestic political pressures and Pakistan leveraging international law to rally global scrutiny. Both nuclear-armed nations now face urgent calls for restraint, though mediation efforts by the U.S. and EU are complicated by geopolitical divisions over Ukraine and China.
The crisis underscores deepening volatility in Kashmir, where tensions have simmered since India revoked the region's autonomy in 2019. With civilian casualties rising and infrastructure damaged, fears of a humanitarian crisis grow as cross-border strikes show no signs of abating.
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