A 7-year-old boy, Irtiza Abbas Turi, the son of Pakistan Army’s Lieutenant Colonel Zaheer Abbas Turi, was martyred during Indian airstrikes that hit several civilian areas in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
In a press briefing earlier in the day, DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed the Indian airstrikes had killed 26 civilians and injured 46 others. He noted that India targeted areas in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Muridke, and Ahmedpur Sharqia.
The military spokesperson said that Pakistani forces responded by shooting down five Indian fighter jets and one drone. “India’s misunderstanding will be corrected,” he said, vowing that any future aggression would be met with full force.
Meanwhile, the National Security Committee (NSC) on Wednesday authorised the armed forces of Pakistan to undertake corresponding actions in response to Indian airstrikes that targeted multiple civilian areas.
The NSC statement comes in the aftermath of coordinated missile, air, and drone strikes launched by the Indian armed forces during the night of May 6–7.
The forum also noted that India’s act of aggression also caused grave danger to commercial airlines belonging to brotherly Gulf countries, endangering the lives of thousands of on-board passengers. Besides, the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project was also deliberately targeted in violation of international conventions.
NSC termed the attacks "unprovoked, cowardly, and unlawful acts of war," and emphasised that it reserves the right to respond under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which affirms a member state's right to self-defense.
India's airstrikes came amid tensions between the two nuclear armed neighbours after the attack in Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which resulted in multiple casualties. India blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing evidence—an accusation Islamabad has firmly rejected.
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