The South Asian countries have exchanged fire since Wednesday, when India launched air strikes on what it called “terrorist” sites in Pakistani territory after a deadly attack on tourists on the Indian side of the divided Kashmir region.
Military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a live broadcast aired by state television in the middle of the night said India had “attacked with missiles” targeting three air bases.
One of the bases targeted, Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, the garrison city where the army is headquartered, is around 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the capital Islamabad.
The air base is used to receive foreign dignitaries and Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir had departed just hours earlier.
- Disputed Kashmir -
India blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- a UN-designated terrorist organisation -- for the attack but Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for an independent probe.
Previous clashes have been mostly limited to the Kashmir region, separated by a heavily militarised border known as the Line of Control, but this time India has struck multiple cities deep in Pakistan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top security officials on Friday, including his national security advisor, defence minister and the chiefs of the armed forces, his office said.
- Drone warfare -
Pakistan's military spokesman denied that Islamabad was carrying out such attacks, and vowed revenge for the initial Indian strikes.
An Indian army spokeswoman on Friday spoke of “300 to 400” Pakistani drones, but it was impossible to verify that claim independently.
Civilians have come under fire on both sides, with Islamabad and New Delhi accusing each other of carrying out unprovoked artillery shelling, and missile and drone strikes.
Across the border, a police official said one woman was killed and two men wounded by heavy shelling.
Armed groups have stepped up operations in Kashmir since 2019, when Modi's Hindu nationalist government revoked its limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule by New Delhi.
India has closed 24 airports, while schools in areas close to the border on both sides were closed, affecting millions of children.
World powers have called for both sides to exercise “restraint”, with several offering to mediate the dispute.
The International Crisis Group, however, said “foreign powers appear to have been somewhat indifferent” to the prospect of war, despite warnings of possible escalation.
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