Pakistan Convenes Nuclear Chiefs After India Retaliation; Global Calls for Calm

Pakistan has called an urgent meeting of its National Command Authority – the supreme body overseeing the country's nuclear arsenal – following retaliatory military strikes against India.

The move comes after Pakistan claimed to have targeted multiple Indian bases, including a missile storage facility in the north, in the early hours of Saturday.

The Indian military has accused Pakistan of a "blatant escalation" of hostilities, reporting the use of drones and various munitions along India's western border. They insisted they would foil any plans by their adversary.

Police in Jammu reported that five civilians had been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir amid a chorus of international appeals, most notably from the United States, urging both nations to immediately cease their military actions.

Islamabad alleges that prior to its offensive, on Friday night, India launched missiles at three Pakistani air bases, including one in close proximity to the capital, Islamabad.

However, Pakistan's air defence systems reportedly intercepted the majority of these incoming projectiles.
 

Pakistan's Prime Minister has since convened the National Command Authority, which includes senior civilian and military figures, to discuss the escalating situation and potential responses.

Meanwhile, experts have voiced concerns that the escalating conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours could lead to the use of devastating weaponry, particularly in the volatile Kashmir region, a long-standing point of contention.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reported to have spoken by telephone with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, offering the United States' assistance in mediating negotiations aimed at reducing the dangerous spike in tensions.
 

Details of the Conflict

• Pakistan has dubbed its operation "Operation Bunyanun Marsoos," meaning "Well-Knitted Structure."
• Reported targets included a "BrahMos" missile storage site near Beas, the Pathankot airbase in Punjab, and the Udhampur Air Force Station in Kashmir.
• The Indian military claims to have shot down a Pakistani drone in Amritsar and intercepted several incoming missiles.
• Reports of explosions in Srinagar, Jammu, Lahore, and Peshawar highlight the potential for the conflict to widen.

The G7 group of leading industrialised nations has called on both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint and engage in direct dialogue. The United Kingdom has stated that it is monitoring the situation with grave concern.