India reported that 16 of its citizens, including three women and five children, were killed in unprovoked shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday. Mortars and heavy artillery were allegedly fired across sectors in Jammu and Kashmir including Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri. India has called for an immediate ceasefire and claimed to have targeted several Pakistani air defense installations in retaliation. Pakistan, in turn, claimed it destroyed 25 Indian drones.

The US Consulate in Lahore issued an advisory urging American staff to seek shelter or evacuate areas near the city’s main airport, as local authorities began evacuating neighborhoods near conflict zones. The consulate stressed the need for vigilance and security precautions as regional tensions between India and Pakistan escalate.

Pakistan’s military claims it shot down 25 Israeli-made Heron drones deployed by India during a recent confrontation. The Pakistani armed forces say they fully utilized both “soft-kill” and “hard-kill” capabilities. The retaliatory strike, according to Pakistan, resulted in the destruction of five Indian fighter jets and casualties among Indian troops. The military has begun collecting debris from the downed drones across various regions and asserts its full readiness to respond to any further aggression.

Following Pakistan’s claim of destroying a military headquarters and five advanced aircraft in response to Indian airstrikes, the Indian government has ordered the closure of at least 21 airports in the northern region until May 10. The affected airports are located in Jammu and Kashmir, Leh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. This precautionary measure, effective until 5:29 AM on May 10, has led to mass cancellation of domestic flights amid escalating tensions with Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar revealed that the national security advisors of India and Pakistan established contact following India’s recent airstrike. The communication aimed to de-escalate the situation. Pakistan’s NSA is Lt. Gen. Mohammad Asim Malik, Director General of ISI, while India’s NSA Ajit Doval has held the position since 2014.

Three Israeli soldiers were injured in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank, including a shooting at the Reihan crossing and a car-ramming and stabbing attempt in Hebron Hills. In the first incident, a suspected gunman opened fire on soldiers during a military operation. The troops returned fire, and the assailant managed to flee the scene. Minutes later, another attack occurred in Hebron Hills, where an attacker tried to ram a soldier with a vehicle. The assailant then exited the car and attempted a knife attack. Israeli forces are investigating both incidents.

Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif has confirmed that at least 31 civilians were killed in recent Indian missile and artillery attacks. He said 26 people were killed in missile strikes, while five others died due to artillery shelling. Additionally, 57 were injured. “This is a blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty,” he said, adding that Pakistan has formally notified the UN Security Council and will respond as necessary. India claims it targeted and destroyed nine terrorist facilities, including bases of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Pakistan claims to have destroyed an Indian army post in the Sritop area of the Mandal Sector along the India-Pakistan border. According to Geo News, the Pakistani army’s artillery strike enveloped the Indian post in smoke, thwarting any attempt to defend it. Heavy exchanges of fire have also taken place along the Line of Control, resulting in at least 10 deaths and over 30 injuries in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Flight operations have resumed at Lahore and Karachi airports after an eight-hour suspension caused by heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. Two international and one domestic flight operated from Karachi today. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had temporarily suspended regular flights for 12 hours. Authorities are now gradually normalizing air traffic across affected airports.

Pakistan’s National Security Committee has granted full authority to its military to respond to Indian airstrikes, missile, and drone attacks, which it condemned as “an unprovoked declaration of war” and a blatant violation of its sovereignty. A statement accused India of breaching international law and warned that any attack on Pakistani citizens or territory would be met with a firm response.

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has officially stated that India exercised its right to retaliate through ‘Operation Sindoor.’ The objective of the operation was to prevent further attacks from across the border following the Pahalgam massacre and dismantle terrorist infrastructures. Misri emphasized that the response aligns with the UN Security Council's April 25 statement condemning the attack and demanding justice. Indian Army Colonel Sophia Qureshi and Air Force Wing Commander Byomika Singh said Indian forces targeted and destroyed nine terrorist camps across the Line of Control between 1:05 AM and 1:30 AM on Tuesday night.

India’s “Operation Sindoor” targeted the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur, killing 14 individuals, including 10 relatives of Jaish leader Masood Azhar. Among them were Azhar’s elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, and others close to the terror chief. The missile strike is being described as one of the deadliest in the campaign.

India claims to have killed 70 militants in its operation on Pakistani soil, targeting Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed fighters. However, Pakistan’s ISPR acknowledged 26 deaths and 46 injuries, many of them civilians. In Ahmedpur, 13 people were killed—including two toddlers, seven women, and four men. In Bilal Mosque, Muzaffarabad, two children were injured. Kotli’s Abbas Mosque attack killed two teenagers, and a mother-daughter duo was injured. India has named the assault “Operation Sindoor.”

Gunfire has raged along the LoC since morning, with at least seven reported dead, including two children and a woman, according to PTI. Indian media, however, claim the number is at least ten. Thirty-eight people are said to be critically injured. Local residents near the border are being evacuated. India confirmed that three civilians were killed by Pakistani shelling. Meanwhile, Geo News and Al Jazeera reported that India’s “Chora Complex” military post raised a white flag during Pakistan’s assault.

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that at least eight civilians were killed and 33 injured in India’s overnight air raids across six locations. Among the casualties was a young girl killed in Ahmedpur East, where five people died. Several mosques were also hit: Bilal Mosque in Muzaffarabad, Abbas Mosque in Kotli, and another in Muridke. A child was injured and mosque structures were damaged. Even a medical distribution center was reportedly targeted.