Islamabad, Pakistan - India and Pakistan launched missiles at each other’s military bases on Saturday morning, the latest escalation in their rapid development towards a full-scale war.
Pakistan accused India of launching ballistic missile attacks on at least three aerial mounts for the fourth consecutive night. Islamabad said in response it launched a major military campaign, “Operation Bonyan Massos” (Arabic “structure made of lead”), targeting at least six Indian military bases.
India, in turn, accused Pakistan of being an invader. Indian military officials claimed that Pakistan targeted several Indian military bases and its missiles entered Pakistani territory.
However, regardless of who first hit the other side on May 10, India and Pakistan defeated each other's military bases on such a vast territory, far beyond Kashmir, a disputed area under their respective parts of control - meaning that the conflict has now turned to almost unknown territory.
Outside of the four wars they fought, South Asian competitors never attacked each other on this scale.
This is our response to India so far, Pakistan, global powers like the United States, and the background of this aggravated conflict.
According to Pakistan, what happened on the morning of May 10?
Pakistan said India introduced a drone to Pakistan and subsequently carried out ballistic missile strikes on at least three major air bases.
The Pakistani base in India is:
- Nur Khan Airbase: Located near Chaklala, Rawalpindi, it is a key operational and training center. It has an important Pakistan Air Force Command and supports transport, logistics and VIP flight operations.
- Air Force Base Students: Located in Chakwal, about 120 km (75 miles) from Islamabad. This is a crucial base for the advancement for the Pakistan Air Force. It plays a crucial role in air defense and combat preparation.
- Rafiqui Airbase: The base is located in Shorkot, Punjab, and hosts the fighter squadron.
Pakistan said in response it launched air attacks on several Indian military bases. Known bases are:
- Udhampur Airbase: Udhampur is located in Kashmir, managed by India, and is also the headquarters of the Indian Army's Northern Command.
- pathankot Air Force: The base in Punjab, India, is a central part of the Indian frontline air force operations, and in a 2016 attack, armed fighters targeted the killing of six Indian soldiers. India blames the attack on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad.
- Drangyari Artillery Gun Position: Drangyari manages Jamu and Kashmir in India.
- URI on-site support warehouse: In Kashmir, managed by India, URI is also home to India's major army base, which was attacked by armed fighters who killed 19 Indian soldiers in 2016. India blames Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack, where Kashmiris, who he managed in Pakistan, launched a so-called "surgical strike".
- Nagrota: The Indian-managed town of Kashmir is home to the Brahmin missile storage site designed and manufactured by India and Russia.
- Beas: Located in Punjab, India, the site is a storage facility for Brahmin missiles.
- Adampur Air Force Base: The base is located in Punjab, India and is home to the S-400 missile defense system purchased by India from Russia.
- Bhuj Air Force Base: The base is located in Gujarat, the hometown of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What does India say?
In a media briefing, Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Misri accused Pakistan of provocation and escalation, claiming that New Delhi only responded to the actions of its neighbors.
He was joined by Sofia Qureshi of the Indian Army and Colonel Vyomika Singh, the wing commander of the Indian Air Force, who shared the activities in New Delhi.
Qureshi said Pakistan used “drones, long-range weapons, wandering ammunition and fighters to target civilian areas and military infrastructure”.
"The Pakistani military also used drones to resort to air invasions and fired heavy-caliber weapons on the control line," she said. The wandering ammunition, also known as suicide drones, was remotely controlled and intended to hit the target. The control route is the de facto border between India and Pakistan-management Kashmir.
India said Qureshi and Singh shot down the most incoming missiles and drones, but Qureshi and Singh acknowledged that air bases located in Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj did suffer "limited damage".
However, India rejected the suggestion that any base would suffer any significant damage, and the military released space-time photos of the facilities to support its claims. Pakistan's military claimed on Thursday that Udanpur and Patankot bases had been "destroyed".
At least five people were killed by Pakistan missile fires on Saturday, Indian officials said.
What else happened on May 10th?
While neighbors trade missiles and charges, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir and was widely regarded as the country's most powerful figure, as well as Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
According to the U.S. State Department, Rubio urged both sides to seek “expanded” approaches and provided assistance when launching constructive dialogue to avoid further conflict.
How did India and Pakistan fall on the brink of war?
Pakistan’s military response on Thursday came after four consecutive days of Indian attacks in its territory, two weeks after a fatal attack on tourists in scenic Indian Adminested Kashmir on April 22.
The attack killed 26 civilians. The armed groups alleged that it was backed by Pakistan, which Islamabad denied, instead calling for a "fair, transparent" investigation into New Delhi rejected.
Multiple witness claims suggest that the gunman isolated the men from women and then chose and killed non-Muslims.
India launched a strike on May 7 to target Pakistan and the Kashmir region managed by Pakistan. It claims to have destroyed the "terrorist infrastructure" and eliminated at least "100 terrorists".
It calls its attack action Sindoor's attack action, mentioning the vermilion (Sindoor) in Hindi - many red pigments that marry Indian women are suitable for their foreheads. The name of the mission is an allusion to the way the gunman killed tourists in Pahargam.
Pakistan reported that the Indian strike killed 33 people, including several children, and injured more than 50 people. As India claims, any dead are warriors.
As the attack unfolded, Pakistan fought against the Indian Air Force (IAF). Pakistan's army claimed it shot down five Indian jets, including three gusts, and the French-made aircraft is considered the IAF's most advanced asset. India neither confirmed nor denied the losses.
Drone wars intensify
India's response was to deploy drones and roaming ammunition from May 9 to 10, reaching at least a dozen targets in Pakistan, including major urban centers such as Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
India said the drone strike was a response to Pakistan’s use of drones, and Islamabad claimed to continue to refuse.
"Their claims are not trusted. They continue to lie. Their allegations are wrong. Otherwise, where is their evidence?" Pakistan military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Al Jazeera at a press conference in Rawalpindi on Friday.
He added that Pakistan's response to "Indian aggression" will be at "the time, method and location of our choice".
That was on the morning of May 10th.
What does Bunyan Marsoos mean?
Pakistan's action titled Bunyan Marsoos, an Arabic phrase that is translated as "a structure made of lead".
The phrase originated from the Qur’an: “The true God loves those who fight in battle arrays as if they were a solid cement structure.”
In the context of the Qur’an, this sentence symbolizes unity and strength among believers fighting for the cause of justice.
What's next?
Experts have repeatedly warned that escalation needs to be cancelled between nuclear-weapon neighbors before the situation becomes “irreversible”.
India said on May 10 that it is willing to stop the escalation cycle if Pakistan returns.
However, Kamran Bokhari, senior director of the new Institute of Strategic and Policy, said India's strike against Pakistan Air Force Base has greatly escalated the conflict.
"With Pindi being hit and other air conditioners, like Sargodha's Airbase, the war has gotten worse," he told Al Jazeera. "We are now looking at a bigger war."
Muhammad Faisal, a security analyst at the University of Technology in Sydney, said Pakistan has no choice but to respond strongly.
"Pakistan can adopt its latest jets in stalemate mode or launch a long-range missile strike on Indian air defense measures. Over the past three days, both sides have drawn up each other's air defense measures, and now the next round of upgrades is here."