Pakistan Launches Retaliatory Strikes Amid Rising Tensions With India
The Pakistan armed forces said that its operation included the BrahMos missile storage site in Beas and airbases in Udhampur and Pathankot,
Pakistan's foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, told local television that if India stops here, then 'we will consider to stop here'.
The Indian military said regarding Pakistan's military attacks on Saturday that 'all hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded to appropriately'.
Prior to the retaliatory strike, Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry
The Indian Ministry of Defense has not publicly commented on the alleged strikes, but
Related Stories
5/9/2025
5/8/2025
Some of the drones were suspected to be armed. The ministry stated that some people were injured when an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur on May 10.
The ministry accused Pakistan of violating India's sovereignty and putting civilian lives in danger by escalating tensions along the western front through drone incursions and the use of munitions.
Multiple hostile drones were detected flying over Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab at 5 a.m. local time on May 10, which were intercepted and neutralized by Indian air defense systems, it
Pakistan military officials on May 10
Fears that the countries' nuclear arsenals might come into play spiked when the Pakistan military said a top military and civil body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet, but the defence minister later said no such meeting was scheduled.
Tensions between the two nations have escalated since an April 22 terrorist attack in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir, a Himalayan region bordering Pakistan, India, and China, where three gunmen killed 26 people, most of whom were male Hindu tourists.
India has accused Pakistan of involvement, but Pakistan rejected this claim. A group called the Kashmir Resistance later claimed responsibility, which India said was an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist group that has in the past attacked the Indian military and police in Indian-administered Kashmir.
On May 7, India
Pakistan said that at least 31 of its civilians were killed and nearly 50 others were wounded in the strikes, and the Pakistani prime minister
Travel Warning
The United States has issued a
U.S. citizens living in Pakistan were urged to leave areas of conflict or shelter in place if they are unable to leave the areas safely.
'We are aware of reports of military strikes by India into Pakistan. This remains an evolving situation, and we are closely monitoring developments,' the U.S. embassy said in a
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, has been at the center of hostilities over which New Delhi and Islamabad have fought two of their three wars.
India administers the majority of Kashmir, but Pakistan administers the northern and western areas, and China controls territory in the east, some of which was ceded by Pakistan.
Reuters and Chris Summers contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
India, China envoys discuss border peace, trade to boost cooperation
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday discussed border peace, trade issues and bilateral exchanges, aiming to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. "We had productive conversations on our economic and trade issues, pilgrimages, people-to-people contacts, river data sharing, border trade, connectivity and bilateral exchanges," Jaishankar said. He added that the discussions would contribute to building a stable, cooperative and forward-looking relationship between India and China. The Chinese foreign minister said exchanges and dialogue at all levels between both countries had been gradually restored and bilateral relations were returning to cooperation, a Chinese readout showed. Wang also urged both sides, as major countries, to set an example for other developing countries to unite and strengthen themselves, according to the statement. China and India should establish "correct strategic understanding, regard each other as partners and opportunities, not as rivals or threats," the statement cited Wang as saying. Wang arrived in the Indian capital on Monday for a two-day visit during which he will hold the 24th round of border talks with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar had said that discussing border issues was very important because the basis for any positive momentum in India-China ties was the ability to jointly maintain peace in border areas. "Having seen a difficult period in our relationship, our two nations now seek to move ahead. This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides," Jaishankar told Wang in his opening remarks. It is also important for the two countries to pull back their troops amassed along their disputed border in the western Himalayas since a deadly border clash in 2020, Jaishankar said. Wang's visit comes days before Modi travels to China - his first visit in seven years - to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional political and security group that also includes Russia. Relations between the Asian giants began to thaw in October after New Delhi and Beijing reached a milestone pact to lower military tensions on their Himalayan border following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi in Russia. Ties between the two countries deteriorated sharply following a military clash on that border in the summer of 2020 in which 20 soldiers from India and four from China were killed. Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
India's Modi meets China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties
Relations plummeted in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. The violence, the worst in decades, left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, freezing high-level political engagements. 'The setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries. We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders,' Wang said Monday. Advertisement Modi emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility on the border and reiterated India's commitment to a 'fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question,' his office said in a statement. The rebuilding of India-China ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after President Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, along with Australia and Japan. Advertisement The chill in relations after the deadly clash in 2020 between troops in the Ladakh region affected trade, diplomacy, and air travel, as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens, and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 2,167-mile border. 'Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,' said Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank. He also served as a member of the advisory board for India's National Security Council. The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019. Modi is set to meet Xi when he travels to China late this month — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter US influence in Asia. Advertisement Earlier this year, Xi called for India and China's relations to take the form of a 'dragon-elephant tango' — a dance between the emblematic animals of the countries. Last month, India's external affairs minister visited Beijing in his first trip to China since 2020. The renewed engagement comes as New Delhi's ties with Trump are fraying. Washington has imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, which includes a penalty of 25 percent for purchasing Russian crude oil. The tariffs take effect Aug. 27. India has shown no sign of backing down, instead signing more agreements with Russia to deepen economic cooperation. Trump's renewed engagement with India's arch rival, Pakistan, has also encouraged New Delhi's overtures to China, said Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, who led the Indian military's Northern Command from 2014 to 2016. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief for a White House lunch and later announced an energy deal with Islamabad to jointly develop the country's oil reserves. Both followed Trump's claims of brokering a cease-fire between India and Pakistan after the two sides traded military strikes in May. That clash saw Pakistan use Chinese-made military jets and missiles against India. 'China is heavily invested in Pakistan and, practically speaking, you can't have any expectation that Beijing will hold back support to Islamabad,' Hooda said. 'But you can't have two hostile neighbors on your borders and simultaneously deal with them also.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
India's complex GST tax and how Modi's reform will make goods cheaper
(Refiles to remove duplicated word and fixes a grammatical error in first paragraph.) By Nikunj Ohri NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed India's biggest tax reform in eight years to lower consumption levies on everyday goods and small cars from October, in a move seen as boosting his image amid trade tensions with Washington. The structure of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is complex, with states and the federal government sharing the revenue collected. Here are details of the tax system and the planned reform: WHAT IS THE GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (GST)? India adopted the GST in 2017, sweeping in more than a dozen domestic state taxes in a bid to unify the economy on the principle of "one nation, one tax, one market". It was hailed as the biggest tax reform since independence from Britain in 1947. The new system had four tax slabs, of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, with scores of goods in each category. An additional levy was imposed above the tax of 28% on some items, such as cigarettes, luxury cars and high-end motorcycles. But it was criticised for being too complex. Pre-packaged salted popcorn is taxed at 12%, but caramel one at 18%, India said last year, triggering a dispute in which one online user questioned how a "salt caramel" variant would be taxed. Similarly, plain Indian flatbreads attract a 5% tax, but the flaky, multi-layered variety faces a levy of 18%. WHAT'S THE REFORM ALL ABOUT? The government plans to abolish the 28% slab that applied to products such as cars, air-conditioners and refrigerators. About 99% of products now taxed at 12%, such as butter, fruit juices, and dry fruit, would also shift into the 5% bracket. Reuters has reported small cars will be taxed at 18% down from 28% earlier. India collected $224 billion last year from the levies. IDFC First Bank says the new reform will hit government collections by $20 billion. WHICH SECTORS AND COMPANIES COULD BENEFIT? Taxes are likely to be lower on personal care items such as hair oil and toothpaste. Taxes on construction goods like cement could also be lowered, boosting demand for homes and infrastructure. Prices of air conditioners, televisions and refrigerators are also likely to be slashed as tax rates fall, benefiting manufacturers such as Samsung and LG Electronics. WHAT IS THE MACROECONOMIC IMPACT? The 18% category contributed the most - 67% - to GST collection, and that will not change. The tax cuts would damp inflationary pressures, and boost he chances for further interest rate cuts by the central bank, economists say. However, they are expected to boost consumption, which contributes roughly 60% of India's GDP. IDFC FIRST estimates India's nominal GDP increasing by 0.6 percentage points over 12 months. IS IT A DONE DEAL? No. Making changes to the GST framework is not easy. The plan will need approval from the GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and with representation from all Indian states, before it can roll out nationwide. Economists estimate tax cuts will affect state government finances more than the federal government, as goods and services tax form a large part of their revenues. In the past, states have pushed back on fixing rates on casinos, lotteries and online gaming. Sign in to access your portfolio
