World leaders call for calm after India strikes Pakistan
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Wreckage of Indian Air Force fighter jet that crashed in Wuyan Pampore in Indian-administered Kashmir. Photo: Basit Zargar/Middle east images/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump and other world leaders called for an end to India-Pakistan hostilities after the Indian military launched deadly strikes on Pakistani targets early Wednesday local time.
The big picture: It's the first time India's forces have struck inside Pakistan's territory since 2019, as tensions again run high between the two nuclear-armed neighboring nations over the disputed Kashmir region.
Driving the news: India's military said its armed forces struck nine sites that targeted "terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir" in an act that Islamabad officials called "an unprovoked and blatant act of war."
- A Pakistani Army spokesperson said on X at least 26 people were killed and 46 others injured following the Indian airstrikes.
- The Indian military action comes after gunmen killed 26 people and wounded a dozen others on April 22 in an area of Indian-administered Kashmir that's popular with tourists.
Zoom in: India's Defense Ministry said in a statement its "precision" strikes on "terrorist camps" were following up on its "commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable."
- Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the Indian military's actions were "a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms of inter-state relations."
- The Pakistani government said on X that it shot down several Indian military aircraft, including fighter jets, in response to missile attacks.
- Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam "S." Jaishankar said on X the world "must show zero tolerance for terrorism."
What they're saying: "It's a shame, we just heard about it," Trump said Tuesday at the White House.
- "I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past," Trump added.
- "They've been fighting for a long time, you know? They've been fighting for many, many decades, and centuries, actually, if you really think about it. No, I just hope it ends very quickly."
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted on X that tensions between India and Pakistan "are at their highest in years."
- He strongly condemned the April 22 attack in Pahalgam and said it was "essential" that India and Pakistan "avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control," adding: "Make no mistake: A military solution is no solution."
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in remarks published on its website called India's military action "regrettable" and urged "both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability ... exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation."
Flashback: India revokes Kashmir's special status amid crackdown
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
