India fires missiles across frontier with Pakistan, officials say

India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, killing at least eight people, including a child, Pakistani authorities said.

India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants.

Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbours over last month's militant attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

India has blamed Pakistan for backing the militant attack, which Islamabad has denied.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Wednesday's airstrikes and said the “deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks at five locations in Pakistan” and that his country would retaliate.

“Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” Sharif said.

He said his country and its armed forces “know very well how to deal with the enemy.”

The missiles, early Wednesday (local time), struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country's eastern Punjab province, according to three Pakistani security officials.

One of them struck a mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, where a child was killed, and a woman and man were injured, one official said.

The officials said Pakistan had launched retaliatory strikes, without providing any details.

State-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said Pakistan’s air force shot down two Indian jets but provided no additional details.

Pakistani army spokesman, Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif, told ARY News that the missiles were launched from within Indian territory and that no Indian aircraft had entered Pakistani airspace.

“This was a cowardly attack targeting innocent civilians under the cover of darkness,” Sharif told the broadcaster.“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the statement said.

He said his country and its forces “know very well how to deal with the enemy. ... We will never let the enemy succeed in its nefarious objectives".

Sharif convened a meeting of the National Security Committee for Wednesday morning, according to a government announcement.

The Indian army in a post on the social media platform X wrote: “Justice is served." It did not provide further details.

India’s Defence Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that at least nine sites were targeted “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned”.

“Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted,” the statement said, adding that “India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”

Meanwhile in Muzaffarabad, the main city in Kashmir, resident Abdul Sammad, said he heard several explosions and some people were wounded in the attack. Residents in Muzaffarabad were seen running in panic, and power was immediately cut by authorities.

Waqar Noor, the interior minister in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said at least one child was killed in the Indian attack. He said several missiles landed at two locations, and the civilian population was targeted.

Noor said authorities declared an emergency in the region's hospitals.