The escalation between India and Pakistan has reached a critical point, with Pakistan launching ballistic missiles in response to Indian strikes and Indian media reporting a massive Pakistani drone attack. Pakistani military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry declared on May 9, 2025, that the country was at war with India, accusing New Delhi of threatening its sovereignty. The conflict, triggered by a terrorist attack in Kashmir on April 22, has escalated into missile and drone strikes, raising concerns around the world about a possible nuclear escalation between the two powers.

According to Reuters, Pakistan launched missile strikes on Indian military installations in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan on the morning of May 9, in response to Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7. According to India Today, the Indian military recorded the launch of several ballistic missiles, presumably Shaheen-II, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. At the same time, as Indian Air Force Wing Commander Viomika Singh reported, Pakistan used 9 to 300 drones on the night of May 400 to attack military bases in Jammu, Uri and Poonch, which resulted in casualties among Indian servicemen. Pakistani authorities, in turn, reported 31 civilians killed as a result of Indian strikes on Kotli and Muzaffarabad, accusing India of attacking civilian areas. India insists it was targeting militant bases linked to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists.

The conflict has been accompanied by an unprecedented diplomatic rift. Following the attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed its borders and expelled Pakistani diplomats, the BBC reported. Pakistan responded with mirror measures, banning Indian aircraft from using its airspace and suspending trade. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif called the water cutoff an “act of war,” stressing that Islamabad was prepared to use its nuclear arsenal of 170 warheads if India escalated further. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on May 8, said his country “will not tolerate terrorism” and gave the military “complete freedom of action.”