India and Pakistan appear closer to the brink of conflict after New Delhi launched a wave of missile strikes overnight, targeting what it said were terrorist camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes, which India dubbed "Operation Sindoor," hit multiple locations including Bahawalpur and Muridke, and reportedly killed dozens of militants. Pakistan condemned the action as an "act of war," saying it had caused civilian casualties and put its military on high alert.

The attacks were in retaliation for a brutal assault on 22 April in Indian-administered Kashmir, where militants killed at least 26 Indian tourists and wounded dozens more — the deadliest civilian attack in the region in years. India blamed Pakistan for backing the militant group perpetrating the attack.

Few regions on earth are as densely militarized and persistently volatile as Kashmir. Cradled in the Himalayas and bordered by three nuclear powers — India, Pakistan, and China — the disputed territory has long been a flashpoint for regional rivalries and unresolved territorial claims.

Spanning roughly 85,800 square miles (222,200 square kilometers), the Kashmir region is divided among India, Pakistan, and China — but claimed in full by both India and Pakistan. The region is home to roughly 20 million people — with an estimated 14.5 million living in India-administered territory, about 6 million in Pakistan-administered territory, and less than a few thousand in China-administered territory — and sits at a confluence of critical strategic, economic, and religious interests.

The modern history of Kashmir's conflict dates back to 1947, when

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