ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI — Pakistan announced that it had launched a military operation against India early Saturday (May 10), striking several targets including a missile depot in northern India, as hostilities between the two nuclear-armed nations escalated to their worst level in nearly 30 years. This move came after Pakistan accused India of firing missiles earlier the same day at three Pakistani airbases, including one near Islamabad. Pakistani forces claimed to have intercepted most of them with their air defences.

Tensions between the two countries have soared since Wednesday, when India launched airstrikes inside Pakistani territory, targeting what it described as militant camps. Pakistan vowed to respond, citing the ongoing dispute over Kashmir. In a message to journalists, Pakistan's military said it had destroyed a BrahMos missile storage facility near Beas and targeted both the Pathankot Airbase in Punjab and Udhampur Air Force Station in Indian-administered Kashmir.

India's defence and foreign ministries did not issue immediate responses, but the defence ministry stated the military would brief the media soon. Pakistan's Information Minister posted on social media platform X that the operation had been dubbed "Operation Bunyanun Marsoos," a Quranic reference meaning "a solid, unified structure."

Residents in Srinagar and Jammu in India reported hearing explosions, and emergency sirens were activated, according to a Reuters witness. Pakistan's military spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, stated that India had launched air-to-surface missiles targeting Nur Khan, Mureed, and Shorkot airbases. These bases are located in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, and in Punjab province near the Indian border.

According to early assessments, only a few of the Indian missiles penetrated Pakistan’s defences and none damaged aircraft or key military assets.

Since the clashes began on Wednesday, both nations have exchanged drone strikes, missile fire, and artillery across their borders. India reported shooting down several Pakistani drones. Explosions were also reported in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Peshawar, raising fears of a broader regional conflict. So far, around 48 people have reportedly died on both sides, though these figures have not been independently confirmed.