By Ayomide Otitoju
The Pakistani military confirmed on Saturday that it had launched retaliatory strikes against Indian military installations, targeting what it described as key infrastructure including a missile storage facility in India’s Beas region. The operation, dubbed Bunyan-un-Marsoos or “Iron Wall,” was launched in response to India’s earlier offensive, Operation Sindoor, carried out on May 6.
According to a statement from the Pakistani army, the May 6 strikes by India killed 33 people and injured 62 others in Pakistan. Islamabad claims it is now targeting “all Indian air bases from where the earlier attacks originated,” with state broadcaster Pakistan Television (PTV) reporting that Pakistani drones were also flying over the Indian capital, New Delhi.
The Pakistani military said it deployed Al-Fatah missiles—named in memory of children killed during the May 6–7 strikes—to execute the current wave of attacks.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called an emergency meeting of the National Command Authority, the body responsible for overseeing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, amid growing fears of escalation. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, speaking to Geo News, described the strikes as a “last resort” in response to India’s “continued escalations.”
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors have intensified following New Delhi’s Operation Sindoor, announced late Tuesday. India said the mission targeted “terrorist infrastructure” at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The operation followed a deadly April 22 attack by unidentified gunmen in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people. India has attributed the attack to groups with “cross-border links,” a claim Pakistan has denied, offering a third-party-monitored investigation instead.
India defended its May 6 strikes as a “pre-emptive” move, saying it exercised its right to prevent further cross-border attacks. In response, Pakistan said it has neutralized around 80 Israel-manufactured Harop drones allegedly launched by India in recent days.
As both nations trade fire and accusations, international observers are closely monitoring the situation amid concerns of a broader military conflict.
