Pakistan Closes Airspace For 48 Hours, Authorizes Response To Indian Attack Which "Ignited Inferno In Region"

Though aerial fighting between the nuclear-armed rivals does not appear to be sustained and ongoing at this point, Pakistan has closed its airspace for nearly all flights on Wednesday, in the aftermath of the Indian cross-border strikes which killed at least 26 people – including a 3-year-old girl – and wounded at least 46 other people, Pakistani authorities say based on the latest revised death toll. International carriers have also canceled flights to the region, and access to social media, including X, was temporarily blocked in Pakistan amid the assault. Heavy shelling is being reported along the Line of Control (LOC) separating the historic enemy nations.

The true casualty toll could be higher, as a Pakistani militant chief targeted in the attacks on 'terror camps' said 10 of his relatives, including five children, were killed. The Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was one of the groups targeted, and its leader Masood Azhar said his older sister, brother-in-law, his nephew and niece are among the dead.

Pakistan says that civilians were harmed and targeted that mosques were hit across six locations in its territory, and so has the right to respond to aggression. Indian has said it attack nine terror sites, but has been careful to stipulate these were non-military locations, and is now seeking de-escalation.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered his armed forces to prepare a plan for "self-defense" with "corresponding actions" in order "avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives". The order was issued after an emergency National Security Commitee (NSC) meeting on Wednesday.

What India has dubbed 'Operation Sindoor' is intended to be limited, Indian leaders have said, but it's highly questionable whether it was a 'success' - given that India lost at least one or possibly up to five fighter jets.

Social media images and footage, including issued by AFP, appear to confirm that aircraft were downed but without further clear or verified details:

Pakistani military sources later said they shot down five Indian Air Force jets and one drone in “self-defense,” claiming three Rafale jets – sophisticated multi-role fighters made in France – were among those downed as well as a MiG-29 and an SU-30 fighter.

A local resident and government official told CNN that an unidentified fighter aircraft had crashed on a school building in Indian-administered Kashmir.

"Pakistani officials released a video showing smoke rising from apparent wreckage that officials claimed was one of the downed planes," Washington Post also writes. "The claims could not be independently verified, and the Indian government had no immediate response."

While India has hailed the operation an appropriate response to the terror attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir which left 25 Indians and one Nepali dead, New Delhi is assuring the world that it will "retaliate resolutely" if Pakistan strikes back.

But Pakistan could be readying to do just that, as it is now a no-fly zone for the next 48 hours.

According to a regional source, "During, and shortly after India's strikes on Pakistani terror camps - between 1:05 am IST and 1:30 am IST - all flights to Islamabad and Lahore were diverted to Karachi Airport, where flight ops came under severe stress. Following this, the entire airspace was shut down, except few essential flights."

Below are some notable quotes from Pakistan’s PM Sharif in his emergency address to the country’s parliament:

• “On April 22, Pahalgam … had a sad incident. Indian media and politicians went on to make false allegations against Pakistan. They tried to show the world that, God forbid, Pakistan is behind this incident.”
• “I said [at the time] Pakistan has no linkages with this incident, and I went on to say that if anyone has any issues, then they should go ahead with an international commission and Pakistan will cooperate so that things could come clear.”
• “Last night, they [India] had, all in all, 80 jets with which they attacked six places in Pakistan, including two in [Pakistani-administered Kashmir].”
• “The Pakistani side was completely ready. …Our jets did not [leave] our airspace.”
• “The moment the Indian side released payloads, we engaged their jets and shot five Indian jets … some of which fell in Indian-occupied Kashmir and one in Bathinda.”

Increasing the state of tensions further, India on Wednesday is holding mock air raid and other emergency drills across dozens of districts near the Pakistani border considered high risk, the Indian Express newspaper reports.

Strike locations via Al Jazeera map:

Below is a compilation of reactions from world leaders via CNN:

• United States: President Donald Trump called India’s military operation against Pakistan “a shame.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to the national security advisers from India and Pakistan and urged “both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation.”
• United Arab Emirates: The UAE has asked for India and Pakistan “to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace.”
• United Nations: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has “expressed deep concern over Indian military operations across the Line of Control and the international border with Pakistan.”
• Japan: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japanese chief cabinet secretary, said Tokyo was “deeply concerned this incident could incite retaliation and escalate to a full-scale military conflict” and urged both India and Pakistan “to exercise restraint and stabilize the situation through dialogue.”
• China: China has expressed regret over India’s military action against Pakistan and said it’s concerned about the current developments. “India and Pakistan are neighbors that cannot be moved, and both are also China’s neighbors,” a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. China has been trying to improve relations with India as part of a broader diplomatic push to counter pressure from the Trump administration. Pakistan, meanwhile, is one of China’s closest partners and a key supporter of its Belt and Road Initiative.
• Russia: Russia’s foreign ministry said it was deeply concerned about the growing military confrontation between India and Pakistan and called for both countries to show restraint, Russian state media TASS reported. The Kremlin has close relations with both India and Pakistan, but has been historically close to New Delhi, dating back to the Soviet era. Russia is also one of India’s key arms suppliers.
• Turkey: The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was following the developments “with concern,” warning that India’s overnight attacks “raises the risk of an all-out war.” “We condemn such provocative steps as well as attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.” It added that it echoed Pakistan’s calls for an investigation into the April 22 terrorist attack.

Shelling is reportedly ongoing near the Line of Control (LOC), and social media users have captured daytime explosions in border villages and towns.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg observes of regional south Asian markets that "Pakistan stocks slumped as India conducted targeted military strikes against the nation. Shares in India were relatively steady after the strikes." And the Philippines’ key stock index "gained as much as 1.8% after the country’s central bank chief said further reductions in interest rates were on the table for this year."