MURIDKE, Pakistan — Early Wednesday (May 7), a bright explosion was captured on video at an Islamic seminary near Bahawalpur in central Pakistan, as India launched strikes in retaliation for the recent deaths of Indian tourists in Kashmir. The seminary had been evacuated amid growing fears it would be targeted, but members of Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar's family remained. According to the group, ten of his relatives, including women and children, were among the 13 killed. Pakistan’s military confirmed the deaths. Thousands attended the funeral services, chanting religious slogans.

Jaish-e-Mohammed condemned the attack, calling it a violation of all norms. The group said five children and Azhar’s sister and her husband were among the dead but did not explain why the family hadn’t left. Neither Azhar nor his deputy brother attended the funerals. The area was secured by authorities after the strike.

Around midnight, further north in Muridke, Indian missiles struck a large complex, destroying a mosque and an administrative building, killing three people. Although the location is marked as a government-run educational and health facility, India claimed it is linked to the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Most of the site’s 3,500 occupants had evacuated beforehand.

LeT leader Hafiz Saeed, jailed since 2020 on terror financing charges, has denied any ties to militant activity, stating his vast network of schools, hospitals, and services operates independently. India said its precision strikes targeted nine terrorist camps, specifically the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. It accused Pakistan of building extensive terror infrastructure over decades.

Pakistan claimed India struck six locations, killing 26 civilians and injuring 46 more, and warned of retaliation. This marks one of India’s most significant military actions against Pakistan in years. While clashes have mostly remained confined to Kashmir, these strikes in Bahawalpur and Muridke are seen by Islamabad as a major escalation. India claimed the attacks were in response to the killing of 26 people in Kashmir last month, and that the militant groups operate training and indoctrination centers in Pakistan. While Pakistan denies supporting cross-border militancy, it accuses India of backing insurgents within its own territory—allegations India rejects.