Pakistan’s ISPR reported eight martyrs and 35 injured in Indian missile attacks on civilian targets in Punjab and Azad Kashmir on Wednesday. In retaliation, Pakistan shot down three Indian jets, destroyed a brigade headquarters, and struck enemy posts, escalating tensions post-Pahalgam.
On May 7, 2025, ISPR Director-General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry announced that Indian missile strikes targeted six civilian sites, including mosques, in Punjab and Azad Kashmir, killing eight Pakistanis and injuring 35, as reported by Dawn.
The attacks, involving 24 strikes, damaged residential areas. Pakistan’s armed forces retaliated decisively, shooting down three Indian Air Force jets, destroying a brigade headquarters, and obliterating an Indian post in the Dhundial sector of the Line of Control (LoC), per Geo News. A Pakistani missile strike also downed an Indian drone in the Barnala sector.
3 killed, 14 injured after India fired missiles at 5 locations in Pakistan: Xinhua pic.twitter.com/qptVJ73yU0
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 6, 2025“Pakistan’s armed forces are giving a befitting response to Indian aggression,” Chaudhry declared, emphasising the military’s robust defence. According to security sources, the Pakistan Air Force and Army’s actions, praised on X for their precision, secured the nation’s airspace, with no Pakistani aircraft lost.
Pakistan's military tells CNN it shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft after India said it struck sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Follow live updates. https://t.co/Q9NRBsWFRa pic.twitter.com/WHcepNlPaD
— CNN (@CNN) May 6, 2025Context of Escalating Tensions
The Indian strikes follow the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 26, mostly tourists, which India baselessly attributed to Pakistan, per Reuters. India’s retaliatory measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and closing airspace, prompted Pakistan to ban Indian flights and trade.
Read: Pakistan Shot Down Three Inidan Jets After India’s Missile Attack
The UN and global leaders, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have urged de-escalation, with Iran offering mediation. Moody’s warned on May 5 that prolonged conflict could disrupt Pakistan’s economic stability and India’s fiscal consolidation.
Pakistan’s swift retaliation to India’s missile attacks on May 7, 2025, which killed eight and injured 35, underscores the volatile India-Pakistan conflict ignited by the Pahalgam attack. Destroying Indian jets and a brigade headquarters, Pakistan signals unwavering defence. As civilian losses mount, global calls for de-escalation intensify to avert a broader crisis.
