The Indian Army has announced an urgent call-up of thousands of reservists on a voluntary basis to bolster military operations amid the escalating conflict with Pakistan, local media reported on May 9, 2025, citing official sources in the Indian Ministry of Defense. The decision was made after a series of mutual strikes, including Indian air raids under Operation Sindoor and Pakistani retaliatory attacks using drones and missiles. The conflict, which flared up after a terrorist attack in Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 people, threatens to escalate into a full-scale confrontation between the two nuclear powers, causing alarm in the international community.

According to Reuters, tensions have risen sharply since India struck targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on May 7, which New Delhi has called “terrorist infrastructure.” Pakistan, denying accusations of supporting militants, has claimed 31 casualties, including civilians, and shot down 25 Indian drones, including over Karachi and Lahore. India, for its part, has reported 16 deaths from Pakistani shelling in Kashmir and accused Islamabad of attacking military bases in Jammu, Udhampur, and Pahankot. As the BBC notes, both sides are actively using drones, making the conflict the first “drone war” in history between nuclear powers.

The mobilisation of reservists underlines the seriousness of India’s intentions to bolster its position. According to The Indian Express, the army is calling up to 50 reservists, including retired officers and air defence specialists, to support operations along the Line of Control and the western border. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said the country is prepared for any scenario and Operation Sindoor was a “decisive response to terrorism”. At the same time, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has promised “decisive retaliation”, raising the risk of escalation.

The humanitarian consequences of the conflict are already being felt. According to Al Jazeera, tens of thousands of residents of border villages in Indian Kashmir have been evacuated, and blackouts and a curfew have been imposed in Jammu. Pakistani authorities have reported 57 wounded as a result of Indian strikes, and the airports of Karachi and Lahore have been temporarily closed. Tourism in Kashmir, which once attracted millions, has come to a complete halt, and airlines are rerouting flights, avoiding the region’s airspace, writes The Independent.