Islamabad acknowledged the loss of 31 lives in India’s pre-dawn “Operation Sindoor.” The Pakistani military reported that the strikes, which hit multiple sites, resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians, including a three-year-old girl, and left 46 others injured.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, May 7, 2025, 10:15 PM IST – Pakistan has confirmed 26 fatalities, including family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar, in India’s pre-dawn missile strikes dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” while retaliatory Pakistani shelling in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district claimed 15 civilian lives, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
According to Pakistan According to Pakistan’s military spokesperson and defence officials speaking to Reuters and other media outlets, the India’s strikes hit six locations, resulting in 24 impacts that killed 26 civilians and injured 46. Among the dead were women and a three-year-old girl killed in a mosque in Bahawalpur, Punjab province. The strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure linked to JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen, with a major hit on JeM’s headquarters, Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, in Bahawalpur.
🚨 OPERATION SINDOOR 🇮🇳
At least 30 reportedly killed in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
MASSIVE chaos in Hospital. Internet shutdown likely in the region. pic.twitter.com/KmQrQNONyh
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) May 6, 2025
JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, in a statement circulated through local media, claimed the Bahawalpur strike killed 10 of his family members, including his elder sister, her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children from his extended family. Four close aides, including one aide’s mother, were also among the deceased. “This is a cowardly attack on innocents,” Azhar’s statement read, vowing retribution. Pakistan’s military condemned the strikes as a “heinous provocation,” with Chaudhry asserting, “This aggression will not go unanswered.”
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The civilian toll remains contentious. Pakistan claims all 31 fatalities were non-combatants, while Indian sources assert the strikes killed 70-90 terrorists, with minimal collateral damage due to precision-guided munitions. The Bahawalpur facility, located on NH-5 near Karachi Mor, was a known JeM hub for recruitment and indoctrination, according to Indian military briefings.
Retaliatory Shelling Devastates Poonch
In a swift response, Pakistan unleashed heavy artillery and mortar fire across the Line of Control (LoC), targeting Poonch, Rajouri, and Kupwara districts. Poonch bore the brunt, with 15 civilians killed and 57 injured in relentless shelling that began Tuesday afternoon. The victims, including four children, were identified as:
• Mohd Adil (Sagra, Mendhar)
• Saleem Hussain (Balakot, Mendhar)
• Balvinder Kour (33, Mohalla Sardaran, Mankote)
• Mohd Zain Khan (10, Kalani village, Mandi)
• Zoya Khan (12, Kalani village, Mandi)
• Mohd Akram (55, Mohalla Sukka Katha)
• Amreek Singh (Mohalla Sandigate)
• Ranjeet Singh (Mohalla Sandigate)
• Amarjeet Singh (Mohalla Sandigate)
• Mohd Rafi (36, Kojra, Bandichechian)
• Mohd Iqbal (45, Baila village, Muslim cleric)
• Maryam Khatoon
• Vihaan Bhargav
• Two additional unnamed minors
The shelling ravaged civilian areas in Mendhar, Mankote, Balakote, Krishna Ghati, and Poonch town, damaging Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Christ School, Poonch Fort, and ancient temples. Four Sikh community members were among the dead, prompting outrage from Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal. Displaced residents fled to bunkers, with dozens of homes and vehicles destroyed.
ALSO READ: Deadly Retaliation: Pakistan Shelling Claims 15 Innocent Lives on J&K Border
Escalating Crisis and Regional Fallout
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif labeled the Indian strikes an “act of war,” while India defended Operation Sindoor as a “measured” response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Indian forces, using Rafale jets and SCALP missiles, struck from within Indian territory to avoid violating Pakistani airspace, according to military sources. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has granted the military “complete operational freedom” amid heightened LoC alert.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, over 1,000 religious schools have shut down, and hospitals are overwhelmed. Residents are digging bunkers, fearing further Indian action. In India, Kashmir remains volatile, with infrastructure damage reported, including to a mosque in Muzaffarabad. Flight cancellations and travel advisories have disrupted the region, with 25 Indian airports temporarily closed.
International Calls for Restraint
The United Nations, United States, United Kingdom, and other nations urged de-escalation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the “catastrophic” risks of a nuclear confrontation. The U.S. reiterated calls for dialogue, but the absence of direct communication between New Delhi and Islamabad hinders diplomatic efforts.
