Pakistan Claims It Shot Down 25 Indian Drones Amid Escalating Border Conflic
Pakistan’s military has claimed it shot down 25 Indian drones overnight amid heightened hostilities along the Line of Control (LoC), escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
In a statement released early Thursday, Pakistan’s armed forces said the drones were intercepted after allegedly violating its airspace in multiple regions bordering India. However, it did not directly address New Delhi’s accusations that Islamabad had launched drones and missiles targeting Indian military installations.
India’s Ministry of Defence earlier said that Pakistani drones and missiles attempted to strike “a number of military targets” but were largely neutralised by Indian air defences.
Casualties have risen sharply on both sides. Pakistan reported 31 people killed and 57 injured across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir following Indian airstrikes and cross-border shelling since Wednesday morning. India, on its part, claimed that 16 civilians were killed by Pakistani artillery fire in several border villages.
The renewed violence follows India’s retaliatory strikes after the killing of 26 Indian tourists in Kashmir last month — an attack India blamed on Pakistan-based militants, an allegation Islamabad has denied.
International observers have called for immediate de-escalation, warning of the risks of a broader conflict between two nations with nuclear capabilities.
Sources: Pakistan Armed Forces Press Release,Indian Ministry of Defence, Associated Press of Pakistan, Indian Express
