Pakistan death toll rises to eight
A Pakistani military spokesperson has told the Reuters and AFP news agencies that the death toll from Indian strikes on Pakistan has risen to eight civilians.
Two further people have been reported missing with 35 injured in the strikes.
The spokesperson reported up to 24 strikes across six locations.
Key events
At least eight people, including a child, have been killed and 35 injured after India launched attacks on what it claimed were nine sites of “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, in a sharp escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Loud explosions were heard early on Wednesday, and power was knocked out in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, witnesses said.
In response, Pakistani military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said at least two Indian air force jets had been shot down, calling India’s strikes a “heinous provocation”.
Read our full report here.
UK politicians have urged restraint after the strikes from India into Pakistani-controlled territory.
Lord Ahmad, who served as South Asia minister under the previous Conservative administration, said the missile strikes were an “alarming escalation”.
The missile strikes by India 🇮🇳 on Pakistan 🇵🇰 and Pakistani administered Kashmir is an alarming escalation between two nuclear armed neighbours- the potential of a war tonight is real -we need urgent international engagement to prevent a widening of this conflict which… https://t.co/8ciR7mluqw
— The Lord (Tariq)Ahmad of Wimbledon KCMG (@tariqahmadbt) May 6, 2025
The potential of a war tonight is real – we need urgent international engagement to prevent a widening of this conflict which carries serious implications not just for the region but for the wider world.”
Scotland’s first minister John Swinney said he was “deeply” concerned by the escalation in violence, while Labour MP Stella Creasy warned the “world cannot stand by” as the conflict spirals and the risk of harm to civilians in the region increases.
In line with a number of other airline, IndiGo has announced flight cancellations to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amristar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner and Jodhpur.
The airline has said it anticipates further changes to its schedule.
Three dead in shelling across line of control
The Indian army has said that three Indian civilians have been killed by shelling from Pakistani troops in Kashmir.
There have been multiple reports of exchanges of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops continue across multiple points along the line of control throughout the night.
The UK Foreign Office has said that it advises against all travel within 10km of the India–Pakistan border and to the Balochistan province of Pakistan.
A statement said: “On the night of 6 May (UK Time), the Indian Ministry of Defence stated it had struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In response, there are reports of Pakistani artillery fire across the Line of Control.”
“Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority indicated that it was closing Pakistan airspace for at least 48 hours. There are reports of flights being diverted. British nationals should contact their airline for up-to-date information.”
“We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities.”
How did we get here?
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated rapidly after the massacre of 25 Indian tourists and a Nepalese citizen in the disputed Himalayan Kashmir region on Tuesday, prompting warnings of a return to conflict.
A previously unknown Islamic militant group calling itself the Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack, which India immediately linked to Pakistan, although it did not publicly produce any evidence. Pakistan has denied any involvement.
Among a string of punitive measures announced since Tuesday, India has downgraded diplomatic ties, suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty and revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals.
In retaliation, Pakistan has closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines, and suspended all trade with India, including to and from any third country.
Why is Kashmir so sensitive?
The region, in the foothills of the Himalayas, has been disputed since India and Pakistan came into being in 1947. Both claim it in full, but each controls a section of the territory, separated by one of the world’s most heavily militarised borders: the “line of control” based on a ceasefire border established after the 1947-48 war. China controls another part in the east.
India and Pakistan have gone to war a further two times over Kashmir, most recently in 1999.
The dispute stems from the partition of colonial India in 1947, when small, semi-autonomous “princely states” across the subcontinent were being folded into India or Pakistan, and the local ruler chose to become part of India despite the fact the area had a Muslim majority.
Armed insurgents in Kashmir have resisted Delhi for decades, with many Muslim Kashmiris supporting the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India accuses Pakistan of backing militants – a claim Pakistan denies.
What has happened in recent years?
In 2019 Narendra Modi’s government launched a severe security crackdown in Indian-administered Kashmir and revoked the region’s special status, which had granted it limited autonomy since 1949.
The move fulfilled a longstanding Hindu-nationalist pledge and was widely welcomed across India, but angered many in the territory itself. Against a backdrop of widespread repression, insurgent violence tapered off and tourists returned to the region.
New rules were implemented that allowed outsiders to buy land in Kashmir for the first time, which many saw as an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) to dispossess them from their land and change the Muslim demography of the region.
Under its special status Kashmir had been able to define who its permanent residents were, preventing incomers from other parts of India from applying for jobs, scholarships or buying land.
With the new domicile rule, India widened who was eligible to live and work in Kashmir, leading to accusations that it was trying to change the demographic make-up of the region. The Resistance Front cited this claim when it claimed Tuesday’s attack.
Why has India reacted so forcefully to the Kashmir attack?
The attack – in the midst of a visit by the US vice-president, JD Vance – was highly embarrassing for Modi and his BJP party, which has been boasting since 2019 about the success of its security policies in Kashmir.
The anger in India has been exacerbated by the sectarian nature of the attack, during which some of the male tourists were reportedly asked to recite Islamic verses to determine who would be killed
Exchanges of fire across multiple points of line of control
A Pakistan military spokesperson had told Reuters that exchanges of fire with Indian troops continue across multiple points along the line of control.
The same spokesperson has claimed that five Indian aircraft were shot down, but the Guardian has been unable to independently verify this. The spokesperson told Reuters that the Indian planes were shot down by Pakistan while they were in Indian airspace.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that he is monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely.
Rubio has said he will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution and echoed President Trump’s comments that “this hopefully ends quickly.”
I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo @POTUS‘s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 6, 2025
Protests against India have broken out in the Pakistani city of Hyderabad. Indian flags have been defaced as well as images of prime minister Narendra Modi.
Pakistan death toll rises to eight
A Pakistani military spokesperson has told the Reuters and AFP news agencies that the death toll from Indian strikes on Pakistan has risen to eight civilians.
Two further people have been reported missing with 35 injured in the strikes.
The spokesperson reported up to 24 strikes across six locations.
Air India diverts two international flights
Two Air India international flights en route to Amritsar are being diverted to Delhi, the airline has announced.
The airline has said it has cancelled all flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot until midday local time on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in a statement Qatar Airways says it has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan.
We’re getting some pictures from on the ground in Pakistan-administered Kashmir after India fired missiles at Pakistani territory.
