Pakistani security officials said India fired missiles at least five locations earlier on Wednesday, killing at least one child and injuring two other people. India said it was an infrastructure used by militants.
The strike is due to tensions among nuclear-armed neighbors Radical attacks on tourists last month Management section in India in Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of supporting the radical attacks denied by Islamabad.
A spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the strikes attacked Muridek and Bahawalpur, as well as the control lines in Kotli and Muzaffarabad, Azad Jami and Kashmir. One of the people attacked a mosque in Bahawalpur, Punjab, where a child was killed and a woman and a man were injured, an official told the Associated Press.
“India's aggression has caused difficulties for civilians, including women and children,” the spokesperson said. “This aggression also poses a serious threat to commercial air traffic.”
The missiles were fired according to a statement from the public relations community of Pakistan's armed forces. Witnesses in Bahawalpur reported that bright light was seen in the sky before the intense explosion.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the attack on five locations, marking their cowardice.
“Pakistan has the right to respond adequately to the military actions imposed by India, and has responded appropriately,” Sharif said. “The entire country stands with the Pakistani armed forces.”
MD Mughal / AP
Residents of Muzaffarabad said they heard several loud explosions after midnight, followed by a complete power outage throughout the area.
“We were about to go to bed when the huge explosion happened,” Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool, a resident living near the mosque, told CBS News.
India has not yet issued a formal statement on the so-called missile strike.
The state-run Pakistan TV company quoted security officials as saying that the country's air force shot down two retaliation from Indian jets, but provided no other details.
Pakistan has launched a retaliatory strike without providing any details, Pakistan's security officials said. Officials spoke to the Associated Press on anonymity because they did not have the right to speak to the media on the record.
Pakistan Army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif told Ary News that the missiles were launched from Indian territory and no Indian aircraft entered Pakistani airspace.
“This is a coward attack against innocent civilians covered by darkness,” Sharif told the broadcaster.
President Trump called the strike “shameful” in his speech at the Oval Office reporter on Tuesday.
“We just heard about it when we walked into the oval door,” Trump said. “I think people know that something will happen based on a little bit of the past. They've been fighting for a long time.
At least nine locations are “places where terrorist attacks were planned on India,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Our actions have been essentially focused on nature. There are no military facilities targeting Pakistan,” the ministry said, adding that “India has shown considerable limitations in choosing goals and implementing methods.”
It added: “The commitment we have is that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable.”
A State Council spokesman said it was aware of the reports but “there is no assessment to be provided at this time.”
“This is still a growing situation and we are closely monitoring developments,” the spokesperson said.
Last week, the Pakistani government Claims it has “credible intelligence” India is planning military action within hours amid the April 22 terrorist attacks.
As the crisis escalated, both countries expelled diplomats, suspended the use of mutual space and stopped a key water sharing treaty.
Contributed to this report.
