Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported tonight (May 8th): "The Indian government said that Pakistan launched an airstrike at night using 'drones and missiles', followed by a retaliatory action from New Delhi, which destroyed Lahore's air defense system."
Agence France-Presse quoted the Indian Defense Ministry's statement on Thursday (May 8th): "Pakistan attempted to use drones and missiles to attack multiple military targets." The Indian Defense Ministry also added that these attacks were neutralized by India's air defense system.
India warned that any military action by Pakistan would be met with "very, very firm retaliation." Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in talks with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: "Our response is targeted and well-considered. We do not intend to escalate the situation."
Amir-Abdollahian had just visited Pakistan a few days ago before arriving in New Delhi. Tehran is seeking to mediate between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Upon arriving in India, Amir-Abdollahian stated: "We hope all parties exercise restraint and avoid escalating tensions in the region."
Looking back at the escalation of the conflict, the fatal attack targeting tourists in the Indian-administered Kashmir region became the spark for the conflict. India unilaterally accused Pakistan of being involved in the attack and quickly took retaliatory measures, including airstrikes on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan strongly retaliated, claiming to have shot down five Indian aircraft and retaliating with artillery fire, resulting in at least ten civilian deaths. Both sides exchanged blows, neither yielding, as the military confrontation escalated from mutual accusations to armed confrontation, with the scale and intensity of the conflict expanding. India warned that any military action by Pakistan would face "very, very firm retaliation," while Pakistan previously stated it would avenge every drop of blood caused by India's attacks. The hardline stance of both sides poses a risk of further loss of control.
The escalation of the India-Pakistan conflict not only poses serious threats to the security and stability of both countries but also brings significant challenges to peace in the entire South Asian region. The international community has been calling for both sides to remain calm and resolve disputes through peaceful negotiations. This time, Iran's foreign minister's active mediation may bring a turning point to the tense situation, but given that both sides are at odds with each other, how the subsequent situation develops remains uncertain, and the international community needs to continue to pay attention and actively promote the peace process.
India-Pakistan Conflict Rekindles
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831560273421447/
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