Child killed as India fires missiles across Pakistan border, officials say

India has fired missiles across the border into Pakistani-controlled territory in at least three locations, killing a child and wounding two other people, Pakistani security officials said.

India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants.

Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbours over last month’s militant attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India has blamed Pakistan for backing the militant attack, which Islamabad has denied.

The missiles early on Wednesday struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country’s eastern Punjab province, according to officials. One of them struck a mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, where a child was killed and a woman and a man were injured, an official said.

The officials said Pakistan had launched retaliatory strikes, without providing any details.

State-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said Pakistan’s air force shot down two Indian jets but provided no additional details.

Pakistani army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif told ARY News that the missiles were launched from Indian territory and no Indian aircraft had entered Pakistani air space.

India’s Defence Ministry said in a statement that at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned”.

“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the statement said, adding: “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.

“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable.”

The Indian army in a post on X wrote: “Justice is served.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the “deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks at five locations in Pakistan” and that his country would retaliate.

“Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” he said.

He added that his country and its forces “know very well how to deal with the enemy. We will never let the enemy succeed in its nefarious objectives.”

Mr Sharif called a meeting of the National Security Committee for Wednesday morning, according to a government announcement.

In Muzaffarabad, the main city in Kashmir, resident Abdul Sammad, said he heard several explosions and some people were wounded in the attack. Residents in Muzaffarabad were seen running in panic and power was immediately cut by authorities.

Waqar Noor, the interior minister in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said at least one child was killed in the Indian attack. He said several missiles landed at two locations, and the civilian population was targeted.

He added that authorities declared an emergency in the region’s hospitals.