Rawalpindi, May 7, 2025: Pakistan’s military on Wednesday confirmed that 26 civilians, including women and children, were martyred and 46 others injured in a series of overnight Indian airstrikes on civilian areas across the country. The military leadership reaffirmed that Pakistan reserves the right to respond at a time and place of its own choosing.
Speaking at a press briefing, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said that the Indian armed forces launched 24 airstrikes on six different locations inside Pakistani territory during the night of May 6–7.
Thirteen people were martyred in a single strike in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East area, including two three-year-old girls, seven women, and four men. Another 37 civilians sustained injuries — among them nine women and 28 men. In Muzaffarabad, an airstrike on the Bilal Mosque killed three worshippers and injured two children.
In Kotli, an attack on Abbas Mosque claimed the lives of two teenagers — a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy — and left a woman and her daughter injured. While no casualties were reported in Sialkot and Shakargarh, a local dispensary in Shakargarh sustained minor structural damage.
Additionally, Indian firing along the Line of Control martyred five civilians, including a five-year-old child, further intensifying the toll on non-combatants.
Lt. Gen. Chaudhry condemned the deliberate targeting of mosques, calling it “a clear manifestation of the extremist ideology driving the Hindutva-centric policies of Narendra Modi’s government, which continues to marginalise minorities — particularly Muslims.”
He also confirmed that Pakistan’s Air Force downed five Indian fighter jets and one Israeli-made Heron combat drone during its defensive operations. The downed aircraft included three Rafale jets, one MiG-29, and one SU-series aircraft, which were neutralised in areas including Bhatinda, Jammu, Akhnoor, Srinagar, and Avantipur.
“These aircraft were only engaged after they had carried out attacks on Pakistani territory,” he said. “Despite having the operational capability to strike at least ten more aircraft, Pakistan chose to exercise restraint.”
The DG ISPR underscored that Pakistan’s defensive response was calibrated, measured, and strictly within its own airspace, reiterating that no Pakistani aircraft crossed into Indian territory.
The military also condemned India’s targeting of critical civilian infrastructure, including the Nauseri Dam — part of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project — calling it a “dangerous and irresponsible escalation” with potential long-term implications.
“This attack on water infrastructure constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the laws of armed conflict,” Lt. Gen. Chaudhry said.
He further revealed that 57 international civilian flights were passing through Pakistani airspace at the time of the strikes, warning that the operation recklessly endangered global civil aviation.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to peace but readiness for defence, the DG ISPR concluded:
“Pakistan retains the right to respond to any act of aggression on its own terms. Our armed forces are fully prepared to defend every inch of our territory and the lives of our citizens with complete resolve and unity.”
