The news from South Asia makes hearts jump into throats. Last night, India fired missiles across the border into Pakistani-controlled territory, leaving several dead — including one child — and many more wounded.

Condemning India’s attack, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry noted that strikes were carried out in Muridke, Sialkot, and Bahawalpur, as well as across the Line of Control in Kotli and Muzaffarabad, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

For its part, India’s Defense Ministry confirmed the strikes and stated that at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.” The ministry added that the operation was focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities were targeted, it claimed.

However, international media outlets on the ground—along with footage and photos circulated by local residents on social media—lend credibility to claims that India's Defense Ministry is merely paying lip service. The images and videos provide evidence that civilian targets were struck, including mosques and schools.

India's recent aggression brings to mind Iran's missile attacks on Pakistan's Balochistan in January 2024, made under a similar pretext. As is known, Islamabad did not take long to respond at the time, launching retaliatory strikes on Iranian territory shortly thereafter. Given Pakistan's history of swift retaliation, the possibility of another military response raises fears of a full-scale war between the two nuclear........

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