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India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Real Reason Is Out: CDS Tells Why India Halted Operation Sindoor After 72 Hours
New Delhi: India and Pakistan unexpectedly announced a ceasefire on the evening of May 10 during the peak of Operation Sindoor. The decision left many surprised and sparked widespread speculation: why did India halt its offensive so suddenly? Nearly 20 days later, the answer has come straight from the top. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan revealed that India had already achieved all its military objectives within just three days and that halting the operation was a strategic decision, not a compromise. Operation Sindoor was launched shortly after midnight between May 6 and 7 as a direct response to Pakistan-backed April 22 deadly Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. India retaliated with precision airstrikes and targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Over 100 terrorists were neutralised, including Jaish-e-Mohammed's key commander Abdul Rauf Azhar. India also crippled Pakistan's air defense systems and demolished key airbases in Skardu, Jacobabad, Sargodha and Bholari. Between May 7 and 10, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) that resulted in the death of 15 Indian civilians and one soldier. But India was ready. On the morning of May 10, the Indian armed forces launched BrahMos missile strikes and destroyed Pakistan's Noor Khan-Chaklala airbase near Rawalpindi. The offensive caused significant casualties among Pakistani troops. Faced with mounting losses, Pakistan reached out for a ceasefire, which India accepted as it had already delivered a decisive blow. Strategy, Not Surrender General Chauhan emphasised that India executed Operation Sindoor with clarity, autonomy and a long-term vision. He highlighted that while Pakistan once held an upper hand post-1947, India's consistent strategy has now placed it ahead in economic, social and human development indices. Talking about past efforts, he said, 'Prime Minister Modi invited Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in in 2014. But in return, we received only hostility. It became clear that distancing from Pakistan is the wiser strategy.' Even after the ceasefire, the Indian military remains alert. Officials have warned that any future provocation from Pakistan will be met with a firm and decisive response. Apart from being a counterattack, Operation Sindoor was a statement as well. It showcased India's growing military might and sent a clear message that terrorism will not go unanswered.
India Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Post-Op Sindoor, Indian security needs to look east
India's Operation Sindoor wasn't just a flex, it was a proper kick in the teeth, daubed in vermilion for good measure. A clear red line drawn on the sand along the Radcliffe. On May 7, 2025, Indian forces turned nine terror camps in Pakistan and POK, including Jaish-e-Mohammed's Bahawalpur headquarters and Lashkar-e-Taiba's Muridke camp, into smouldering rubble. In a 25-minute blitz, anywhere between 80 and 100 terrorists, including big fish like Abdul Rauf Azhar of the IC-814 hijacking infamy, were sent to their wasn't mere tit-for-tat for the April 22 Pahalgam massacre of 26 civilians out to have some fun in the meadows. It was India saying: "hit us, and we'll gut you". Deterrence Re-established, with bells on. The Pakistani military-jihadi complex, licking its wounds, will already be plotting its next move. India had better keep its eyes wide open, because the next attack won't come from Kashmir's snowy passes, but sleeper cells might spring from within or infiltrate from the agri-based economy has been struggling for some time, and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty will squeeze it further. The IMF's loan tranche won't fill bellies for long because the military will first stock its war chest. Western aid has been reduced to a trickle with America's exit from Afghanistan, and China's "gifts" of jets and drones come with strings. A country used to free lunches is discovering there is no such The Pakistani Army, that state-within-a-state, will soon feel the pinch. The public, currently crooning odes to Field Marshall Asim Munir, will turn on the brass when the economy begins creaking again. Warmongering is a revenue stream for the military-jihadi complex, and it will pull its favourite trick: a spectacular attack to shift the spotlight, both domestic and Sindoor may have called Pakistan's nuclear bluff, but the world still falls for their "we'll have to use the bomb" blackmail, as seen on May 10. Look how it sounded alarms in Washington DC once again. The result was Donald Trump leaning on the guard dog the US had abandoned recently. The unprecedented support from the unexpected quarters has emboldened the will use a new tactic because Kashmir is a tired playbook, with the history of Pakistan arming and training terrorists in POK. Too obvious. Attacks like Pahalgam trace straight back to Pakistan, and the world nods along when India vows to retaliate. The ISI may change its next act: urban chaos, far from the border, to spark communal strife. Chatter from Pakistan suggests Jaish-e-Mohammed may be reactivating its sleeper India increasing the cost of any misadventure, the Pakistani military establishment will look for a spot far from Kashmir to foment trouble in India, so that no smoking gun exposes would be wise to look east, and keep a watch on the India-Bangladesh and India-Nepal Sheikh Hasina's ouster in July and the Awami League's May 10 ban, Dhaka has gone full feral. Muhammad Yunus's interim government is practically laying out a welcome mat for the Ansarullah Bangla Team, freeing hardened radicals who dream of a Greater Bangladesh and spew anti-India bile. The dreams are daft, but their malice is real. With Bangladeshi media and even military veterans fanning anti-India flames, the ISI has a window into India-Bangladesh border, already a human- and cattle-smuggling sieve, could become a conveyor belt for men and border with Nepal is no less dicey. The ISI has a robust network on both sides of the ISI has done this before. The Indian Mujahideen, on instructions from their Pakistani handlers, kept India on its toes in the 2000s with serial attacks tough to pin on Islamabad without a smoking 2008 Mumbai attacks pointed towards Pakistan because Tukaram Omble caught Ajmal Kasab alive, paying with his life. Without Kasab, the ISI was ready with a narrative — Hindutva did it — as they did with the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts, where India's domestic political expediency twisted the investigation. Till date, Pakistan, the Perpetrator, plays victim by citing the tragic Indian investigations to deflect ISI's next strike, when it comes not if, will be a sly urban surprise, designed to ignite religious tensions, not just spill east is ripe for the picking, with Bangladesh's chaos and Nepal's open border offering easy access. Remember Maulana Masud Azhar and myriad other terrorists have used these routes and literally lived in India. India has strengthened security along the Bangladesh border post-Operation Sindoor, but it will need multiple layers of steel and the latest tech-led eyes to watch over the long, porous India turns back to its economy and life as usual, the security apparatus must stay hawk-eyed for the smallest twitch. The ISI's strategy is death by a thousand cuts. Sowing seeds of a rift in India from within, all the while keeping Pakistan's hands clean, will be the easiest thing to do, given the heightened religious divides in India, a gaping hole to lob explosives into. The Military Jihadi Complex will already be plotting, and this time they may not knock on the front InMust Watch
Asia Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Asia Times
Operation Sindoor showed India's strategic restraint
In the wake of Operation Sindoor – launched by India in response to a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam – Pakistan has disseminated narratives of strategic triumph, portraying India's calculated and limited response as indicative of strategic weakness. Such a characterization, however, fundamentally disregards the measured and deliberate nature of India's operation, which was grounded in a doctrine of proportional response and strategic restraint. It further overlooks India's overwhelming military superiority and the structural vulnerabilities endemic to Pakistan's internal political, economic, and military architecture – factors that severely constrain Islamabad's capacity to wage and sustain a full-scale conflict. The deliberate mischaracterization of India's restraint as impotence serves neither the people of Pakistan nor its military establishment and economy in the long run. On April 22, 2025, India experienced a devastating terrorist attack in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians, including foreign tourists, were killed. In response, India initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025 – a precision military campaign directed at terrorist infrastructure and associated assets located in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Despite the operational efficacy of India's response, Pakistan swiftly declared a strategic victory, citing minimal damage and retaliatory actions allegedly taken against Indian Air Force assets. Such proclamations, however, fail to account for the conscious and strategic restraint exercised by India. Operation Sindoor was not conceived of as a full-spectrum military engagement but rather as a tactical operation intended to deliver a targeted and unequivocal message. Utilizing advanced airpower and missile technologies, Indian forces executed precision strikes targeting terrorist launchpads and logistical nodes. Verified open-source intelligence and satellite reconnaissance corroborate the neutralization of critical terrorist support infrastructure. According to media reports, among the key achievements of the operation was the confirmed elimination of Abdul Rauf Azhar, the mastermind behind the abduction and beheading of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl in 2002 along with scores of other terrorists. Abdul Rauf Azhar was reportedly operating from a fortified location within Pakistan-administered territory and had reestablished active links with multiple transnational extremist networks. His death, alongside the neutralization of scores of other high-value terrorist operatives, underscores the depth of India's intelligence penetration and its ability to deliver justice across borders. This strike was not merely symbolic; it represented India's unwavering resolve to dismantle the ecosystem of impunity that has allowed transnational terrorism to thrive. The operation fits squarely within India's long-standing doctrine of 'active but restrained' military engagement – an approach that seeks to diminish non-state militant capacities without destabilizing the broader regional order. This strategic calculus reflects not only India's military capabilities but also its broader commitment to responsible international behavior. India's restrained approach in Operation Sindoor should not be misinterpreted as an indicator of strategic limitation or military deficiency. Rather, it is a reflection of deliberate doctrinal planning and mature strategic thought. India possesses one of the most powerful military establishments globally, equipped to address a wide spectrum of conventional and unconventional threats. As of 2025, India's armed forces comprise over 1.45 million active personnel, ranking it second globally in terms of troop strength. The country's defense budget for fiscal year 2024–25 stood at approximately US$81 billion – eight times larger than Pakistan's allocation of around $10 billion. This financial advantage has enabled India to undertake significant modernization initiatives, investing in technological innovation, force restructuring, and multi-domain capabilities. The Indian Air Force (IAF) operates a fleet exceeding 2,200 combat and support aircraft, including advanced platforms such as the Su-30MKI, Rafale, and Tejas. During Operation Sindoor, the IAF's effectiveness was further underscored by its use of loitering munitions and long-range drones that executed precise strikes on key Pakistani targets – including airbases at Noor Khan and Rahimyar Khan – while evading and jamming Chinese-supplied air defense systems. The mission was completed in just 23 minutes, demonstrating India's operational and technological superiority. India's air defense capabilities also include a mix of legacy and modern indigenous systems, such as the Pechora, OSA-AK, LLAD guns and the Akash short-range surface-to-air missile system. Integrated with the Indian Air Force's IACCS (Integrated Air Command and Control System), these platforms formed a multi-tiered shield that effectively neutralized multiple retaliatory attempts by Pakistan on military installations across northern and western India. India's ability to detect and eliminate advanced foreign-supplied threats – including PL-15 missiles and Turkish-origin UAVs – highlighted the strength of its indigenously developed electronic warfare and counter-UAS systems. On land, the Indian Army commands over 4,200 main battle tanks and a formidable complement of mechanized infantry and artillery units. The use of advanced systems –such as the ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System), the Dhanush artillery platform, and the indigenously built Arjun MBT – exemplifies the modernization drive under the 'Make in India' initiative. These technologies played a critical role in layered ground-based air defense and strategic deterrence throughout Operation Sindoor. The Indian Navy, for its part, has made considerable strides in becoming a blue-water force, with 12 destroyers, 17 frigates, and two fully operational aircraft carriers – the INS Vikramaditya and the domestically constructed INS Vikrant – providing credible maritime dominance in the Indian Ocean Region. Complementing these assets are indigenous naval platforms including frigates, corvettes, and submarines, which contribute to a robust maritime security posture. India's strategic deterrence is further bolstered by its nuclear triad, composed of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and air-delivered nuclear weapons. With the development of MIRV-capable systems such as Agni-V, India has firmly established itself among the world's elite nuclear-capable states. These capabilities afford New Delhi significant deterrent power and strategic flexibility. Moreover, India's strategic posture has evolved to encompass new domains of conflict, including space and cyber operations. The creation of the Defense Space Agency and the Defense Cyber Agency marks a proactive shift in Indian military doctrine, ensuring preparedness across emerging and hybrid warfare theatres. India's space-based capabilities, particularly through ISRO, were evident in Operation Sindoor, where at least ten satellites continuously monitored India's 7,000 km coastline and northern borders, providing critical situational awareness and command synchronization. The drone warfare domain has also witnessed a transformative evolution. India's drone industry, supported by the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and a ban on imported drones, has matured rapidly. Entities like the Drone Federation of India now represent over 550 companies and 5,500 pilots. Indigenous UAVs and suicide drones, such as those developed by Alpha Design Technologies, Tata Advanced Systems, and IG Drones, were central to the success of Operation Sindoor, making India's UAV capabilities both strategic and scalable. Viewed through this lens, Operation Sindoor must be interpreted not as a manifestation of weakness but as an intentional display of disciplined power projection. The limited nature of the operation was designed to assert deterrence, reestablish red lines, and prevent destabilization in an already volatile region. The doctrine of strategic restraint pursued by India in this instance is an articulation of state responsibility – not a failure of will. Despite possessing unmatched coercive capabilities, India remains steadfast in its commitment to non-violence and peaceful coexistence, in line with the Gandhian ideals that underpin its national identity. The use of force, for India, remains a last resort – invoked only when national security and civilian safety are gravely threatened. India's historical responses to terrorism further support this pattern of calibrated and judicious conduct. From the 1993 Mumbai bombings and the 2001 Parliament attack to the 2008 Mumbai siege and the 2019 Pulwama incident, India has consistently chosen precision over escalation, and legality over unilateralism. In every instance, it has pursued a path that balances deterrence with diplomacy. Pakistan's strategic posture, in contrast, is deeply undermined by its persistent internal vulnerabilities – ranging from economic fragility and political instability to deteriorating domestic security conditions. Despite its public declarations of preparedness, Pakistan lacks the institutional, fiscal, and social resilience to sustain a protracted conventional war with India. According to projections by the International Monetary Fund, Pakistan's GDP growth in 2025 is expected to remain subdued at approximately 2.6%, with inflation averaging 6.0%. Public debt has surpassed 73% of GDP, and the country's external debt obligations now exceed USD 130 billion – indicating a severe limitation on Islamabad's fiscal capacity to finance large-scale military operations. Politically, Pakistan remains in turmoil. The 2024 general elections were fraught with allegations of rigging, authoritarianism, and interference by the military establishment – undermining democratic legitimacy and fragmenting national consensus. The civilian leadership remains in conflict with the military, further eroding institutional cohesion at a time when unity is critical for national defense. Domestically, Pakistan faces intensifying threats from various insurgent and extremist groups. The resurgence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), along with escalating sectarian violence and an active Baloch separatist insurgency, has claimed over 300 lives among security personnel in the past year alone. These internal security challenges place enormous strain on Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus, reducing its operational bandwidth to respond to external threats effectively. Beyond domestic turmoil, Pakistan's military readiness for sustained conflict is deeply questionable. While it fields a sizable military force, independent assessments have raised concerns about munitions shortages, maintenance issues, and outdated command structures. Reports suggest that Pakistan lacks the capacity to engage in prolonged high-intensity warfare without external assistance – a fact that further highlights the asymmetry in military preparedness between the two nations. Furthermore, political dysfunction impedes effective strategic planning. The absence of a unified political vision and frequent civil-military friction prevent the formation of coherent long-term defense strategies. In this context, Pakistan's capacity to respond meaningfully to a calibrated Indian military campaign remains severely constrained. Pakistan's growing strategic alignment with China, particularly in the context of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has introduced additional complexities. While CPEC promises investment worth over USD 62 billion, it has also generated concerns over debt dependence, sovereignty dilution, and localized resistance, particularly in Balochistan. Military cooperation with China, including joint exercises and arms transfers, has increased Islamabad's tactical capabilities. However, this dependency comes at the cost of strategic autonomy. The deepening asymmetry in the Sino-Pak relationship risks transforming Pakistan into a subordinate geopolitical appendage of Beijing, vulnerable to political coercion and economic exploitation. Domestic unrest over Chinese-funded infrastructure projects, especially among marginalized ethnic groups, reflects broader societal unease with this strategic entanglement. These dynamics raise serious questions about the long-term viability of Pakistan's current external alignments and their implications for national sovereignty. The temporary cessation of hostilities after Operation Sindoor should not be mistaken as a concession by India. Rather, it was a conditional and humanitarian decision. Indian officials made it unequivocally clear that the continuation of peace is contingent upon the cessation of cross-border terrorism. India retains both the legal justification and operational readiness to resume hostilities should Pakistan fail to comply. Claims of intercepting certain Indian missiles or downing a few aircraft – largely unsubstantiated when assessed against satellite imagery and independent verification – hold little significance in the broader strategic calculus. In strategic terms, victory is not determined by a handful of tactical successes but by the capacity to shape outcomes, sustain escalation dominance and reinforce deterrence. Operation Sindoor accomplished its core objectives: delivering a clear message, degrading militant capabilities and reaffirming India's regional primacy without triggering widespread destabilization. India's conduct during and after the operation reflects a profound maturity of strategic thinking. It embodies a responsible power's refusal to be baited into uncontrolled conflict while defending its citizens and sovereignty with resolve and precision. In contrast, Pakistan must undertake an urgent recalibration of its national priorities. It has to abandon adventurist policies, address its internal fragmentation and pursue meaningful reforms to ensure both domestic economic and political stability and regional peace. The future of South Asia's strategic stability will depend not on bellicose rhetoric, but on rational policy, mutual respect, and an unwavering commitment to coexistence. India has demonstrated its commitment. The onus now lies with Pakistan to reciprocate with equal seriousness and responsibility.
India.com
14-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
SHOCKING! Terrorist supporter Pakistan may give Rs 140000000 to Jaish chief Masood Azhar due to....
As many as 10 members of JeM founder Masood Azhar's family were killed in Indian airstrikes under Operation Sindoor. (File) In another brazen example of its open support to terrorism, the Pakistan government may reportedly pay a sum of Rs 14 crore to Masood Azhar– the founder and chief of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group and one of the most wanted terrorists in India– as compensation for the deaths of his family members killed in Indian missile strikes under Operation Sindoor earlier this month. According to reports, the Pakistani government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore for the families of those killed in Operation Sindoor, and it seems Masood Azhar will be the biggest beneficiary of this scheme as 10 of his family members, including his brother Abdul Rauf Azhar, and four of his close aides, were neutralized in the Indian airstrikes. Thus, Masood Azhar is reportedly bound to receive Rs 14 crore in compensation from the Pakistan government, as per reports. Masood Azhar's family, aides killed in Operation Sindoor On May 7 midnight, Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a series of deadly, precision missile strikes on terror infrastructures deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). One of the nine locations targeted by India was the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, in Bahawalpur, in which as many as 10 family members of Masood Azhar, and four of his close aides, were reportedly killed. Its is believed that Masood's younger brother, Abdul Rauf Azhar, and two of his brothers-in-law, were killed in the strikes. Abdul Rauf Azhar, a most-wanted terrorist in India, is widely considered to have masterminded the 1999 hijack of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in Kandahar, and is also believed to have played a major role in planning and orchestrating the 2001 Parliament attack, and the Pathankot air base terror strike. Following the strikes, in a statement attributed to Masood Azhar, the dreaded terrorist displayed complete fanaticism, asserting that those killed, including five children, had been 'martyred' in Allah's path and will now rest in paradise. Its believed that being the legal heir of his family, as well as the four close aides killed in the Indian strikes, Masood Azhar is likely to receive all the compensation on their behalf, which amounts to Rs 14 crore.
The Irish Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
More than 100 Indian & Pakistani fighter jets ‘battled in massive dogfight in one biggest battles in modern warfare'
MORE than 100 Indian and Pakistani fighter jets reportedly clashed in a ferocious dogfight, marking one of the biggest aerial battles since World War Two. The hour-long showdown in the skies on Wednesday saw advanced Chinese and Western weapons go head-to-head for the first time. 11 Pakistani and Indian jets had a fierce clash in the skies on Wednesday Credit: AFP 11 The hour-long dogfight was one of the biggest aerial battles since World War Two Credit: AFP 11 People inspect the damage from an Indian missile attack in Muzaffarabad, Kashmir Credit: Rex 11 The high-stakes engagement reportedly involved a staggering 125 warplanes as both sides hurled long-range missiles at each other from within their own airspace, according to Pakistani officials claimed five Indian jets were shot down using Chinese-made PL-15 missiles — though New Delhi has yet to confirm any losses. Salman Ali Bettani, an international relations scholar at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, told CNN: '(It) is now being characterized as the most intense air-to-air combat engagement between two nuclear-armed nations. 'The engagement represented a milestone in the operational use of advanced Chinese-origin systems.' Read more on India Pakistan If verified, the Pakistan reportedly deployed its Chinese-built J-10C jets, boasting that they had downed Indian Rafale fighters, while Indian pilots made repeated passes at targets. Neither side crossed the border, apparently wary of triggering a repeat of the 2019 incident where an Indian pilot was captured and paraded on Pakistani TV. But the fight is only part of a spiralling conflict between the two nations following a massacre in the Indian resort town of Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were gunned down last month. Most read in The Sun India blames Pakistan for the attack — a charge Islamabad denies. In response, India 'launches airstrikes on Pakistan' in escalation between countries Among them was the headquarters of terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), where 'India has killed the brutal terrorist assassin Abdul Rauf Azhar, whose psychopathic beheading of Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 we all remember,' said former US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. 'Justice has been served.' Pakistan has yet to confirm his death. 11 Damage left behind after Pakistani shelling in Uri sector of North Kashmir Credit: Rex 11 An elderly man sits inside a damaged house after shelling from the Pakistan side following the Indian Army's 'Operation Sindoor' Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Meanwhile, India accused Pakistan of using civilian planes as 'shields' during its air assault. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said: 'Pakistan launched an unprovoked aerial assault, targeting Indian territory with drones and missiles. 'But Pakistan did not close its civilian airspace, so that commercial flights would become shields against any counterstrike.' Indian officials also say they 'repulsed' a wave of Pakistani drone attacks overnight, and blasts were reported in Jammu as air raid sirens blared in several cities. Pakistan's army Why are India and Pakistan enemies? DISPUTES between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir date back decades. The Muslim-majority territory was fought over in the aftermath of both countries' independence following the partition of India in 1947. War between India and Pakistan would break out again in 1965 - which ended in a ceasefire. Kashmir's control remains divided to this day, and tensions frequently flare up over the region. India also fought Pakistan wars in 1971 and 1999 - with the conflict in the 70s resulting the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. And the current conflict stems from how the region was split up as the two countries were gaining independence. Indian troops took two-thirds of Kashmir, while Pakistan seized the northern third. Since then, the row has developed into one of the most intense geopolitical rivalries on earth. There are about 16 million people in Kashmir, split between the Indian-controlled and Pakistani-controlled zones. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed revenge, saying: 'I promise that we will take revenge for every drop of blood of these victims.' The Pakistani Defence Minister also issued a chilling nuclear warning: 'If they aggravate this then if a chance of war arises in which there is a sign of nuclear option being used on both sides, then the responsibility for that will be on India.' India struck back diplomatically, 11 A woman and a girl walk past Indian security forces standing guard Credit: Rex 11 India launched Operation Sindoor on Wednesday Credit: X/CLASH REPORT 11 Locals pick through a damaged building near Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir Credit: AP 11 Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said: 'I don't need to remind the audience where bin Laden was found.' The aerial battle has sparked alarm across the globe. US President Donald Trump said he is prepared to do 'anything to help,' while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged 'urgent dialogue' to avoid catastrophe. 'This isn't just a bilateral clash anymore; it's a glimpse of how Chinese defense exports are reshaping regional deterrence,' said Craig Singleton of the US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Chinese defence stocks have surged since the battle, with shares in AVIC Chengdu Aircraft—maker of the J-10C—up 40% this week. Beijing, which supplies the bulk of Pakistan's weapons, has so far stayed quiet, saying only that it is 'not familiar with the situation.' Colonel Philip Ingram, a former British Army commander, previously told The Sun: 'Western intelligence in particular will be focused on the readiness and the outloading of nuclear stocks inside both Pakistan and India and monitoring what's happening to them very closely indeed.' The dogfight is now being compared to the most historic air battles in military history — drawing parallels with the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Kursk, and the 1973 Battle of El Mansoura. But with both sides boasting nuclear stockpiles — estimated at around 170 warheads each — the stakes today are infinitely higher. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said it is 'gravely concerned' by the escalation. Experts warn that if nuclear war erupts, it could kill as many as 125 million people. How nuclear war could kill 125 million? By James Halpin, Foreign News Reporter INDIA and Pakistan are being urged to step back from armageddon as a nuclear war between the two rivals could kill 125million people. The fighting neighbours traded rocket and artillery attacks in an overnight blitz leaving dozens dead and fears of all-out conflict. Now, fears are abound that fighting could escalate to the use of nuclear weapons and kill tens of millions. Peace campaigners like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons are "gravely concerned" and have called for the two sides to step back from the brink. And Colonel Philip Ingram, a former British Army commander, said the West will be particularly nervous about a nuclear conflict. Ingram told The Sun: "Western intelligence in particular will be focused on the readiness and the outloading of nuclear stocks inside both Pakistan and India and monitoring what's happening to them very closely indeed. "The worrying thing about these two nations is that the tensions are very real. "The nuclear weapons are not there to protect them against attack from China or Russia or anyone else. It's focused purely on each other." Ingram said escalation to using nuclear weapons could happen rapidly and powers like the US would step in to try and prevent their use. He said: "The US Secretary of State, flying into India and Pakistan, would carry out shuttle diplomacy between the two." But that might not be enough to overcome the animosity between the two enemies and their desire to escalate the conflict. Xiaodon Liang, a Senior Policy Analyst, Nuclear Weapons Policy and Disarmament, at Arms Control Association also said the primary concern should be the possibility of a battlefield use escalating to "strategic nuclear exchanges". Liang said: "Pakistan has made very clear that it will use nuclear weapons to prevent a full-scale Indian invasion of its territory, and the potential for uncontrollable escalation is part of what makes every crisis between India and Pakistan particularly dangerous."
