A man stood inside his house on Thursday and was destroyed by Pakistani shells in the village of Salamabad, India. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images Closed subtitles
Pakistan's army said it shot down 25 military drones that were scrambled on the population center, including in cities at Pakistan's general army headquarters.
By Thursday night, residents in Indian border towns reported hearing explosions. Authorities announced power outages in parts of the border, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Pakistan's prime minister and Indian foreign minister, urging both countries to "relegate immediately."
This is the latest ratchet of tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations following a missile strike in Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the gunman killed Indian tourists in late April.
"This is a serious provocation," said Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary of India in an English statement. "It seems India has clearly lost the plot. Instead of taking the path of rationality, it is to escalate further in a fully charged environment."
Amid tensions, the US Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan has sheltered its staff. The operation was suspended at the Indian and Pakistan airports near its borders. Schools appear in the border areas of Pakistan and India.
Parents of a Pakistani Whatsapp group exchanged emergency lists that included baby milk powder and coloring books to keep the kids busy. The list concludes: "Keep calm and be prepared. May all of us stay safe."
The escalation began with India’s accusation that Pakistan of killing 26 people (mainly tourists) in India-managed Kashmir on April 22, the worst attack on Indian civilians, which has sparked anger in India, following reports of gunmen targeting Hindu gunmen on April 22. Pakistan denies any connection to the attack. The Himalayan territory is divided into India and Pakistan. Both countries demand it.
After the attack, medical staff carried injured tourists at a hospital in Anantnag, Srinaganan on April 22. Indian-managed Kashmir gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in the worst attack on civilians in the region. Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images Closed subtitles
In the early hours of Wednesday, India attacked the so-called "terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan, the most extensive strike against neighboring countries since the two sides launched a war in 1971. India describes the strike as retribution. Pakistan said the strike and subsequent shelling killed 31 people, including children. Pakistan's military said India did not comment and shot down five Indian aircraft.
India accused Pakistan of killing 16 civilians in a cross-border fire.
Residents reported hearing explosions in Pakistan's second largest city, Lahore, near the old airport on Thursday morning.
Muhammad Abbas, a 47-year-old land servant, was washing his car in the outskirts of Lahore. "Some people are feared," he said, but otherwise, people keep moving forward. "Pakistans are not cowards hiding in their own homes. No matter what happens, it will happen to us."
The explosion appears to be related to one of the drones, which Army spokesman Sharif said “managed to achieve military goals near Lahore”. He said four soldiers were injured in the incident.
The Ministry of Information of India said its armed forces “targeted air defense radars and systems at many locations in Pakistan”, adding: “It has been reliably learned that the air defense system in Lahore has been neutralized.”
A Kashmiris used cell phone lights during the power outage after residents of Jamu City reported an explosion and alarm in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir on Thursday. Mukhtar Khan/AP Closed subtitles
By Thursday night, explosions can be heard above the towns of Chamu, Achabar and Anatnag in Kashmir, which is managed by India. Indian Army spokesman Suneel Bartwal told NPR that areas along the line that separate India and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir "have been on high alert.
Strategic Affairs Commentator Ajai Shukla, retired Indian Army Colonel Ajai Shukla, said any new development could change the calculations of both sides.
"The potential for greater upgrades is high." He said that both countries have deep military capabilities. “They have barely touched the surface so far.”
Indian residents piled up on the roadside on Thursday watched security forces gather around a fallen projectile in a field in the village of Makhan Windi, about 25 miles from the Pakistan border. Mood is more curious than fear.
But in Poonch, a small town in Kashmir owned by Indians, local resident Narendar Singh said most of his neighbors fled after Pakistani shelling. Resident Sarfaraz Ahmad Mir said Pakistan shelled overnight and killed his cousin, an 11-year-old twin boy and girl.
"This shouldn't happen," Mill said. "They shouldn't target civilians at all."
Even as hostilities have attracted public attention, human rights activists say Indian authorities have rounded up and detained more than 30 Rohingya refugees, including homes in the Indian capital, including David Nazi's older parents.
The Nazis said his wife survived because she was pregnant. Nazier said he and some other Rohingya managed to escape and sleep in the park. Colin Gonsalves, a lawyer representing the detainees, said the government appeared to have taken advantage of the situation to detain the people. Delhi police did not respond to a duplicate request for comment.
In a call with Pakistani Prime Minister Rubio, “We support the direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encourage continued efforts to improve communication,” according to a statement from the State Department.
Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst at the Indian and International Crisis Group, said the international community needs to take the conflict between India and Pakistan seriously.
"Both are nuclear power. All it needs is a wrong calculation or error," Donty said. NPR Morning version. "Neither force completely controls the escalation dynamics that the world seems to believe. So the risk exists."
Army personnel examined the remains of the projectile found Thursday in the village of Mark Wandi near Amritsar, India. Raminder Pal Singh/ANI Photos by Reuters Closed subtitles
He said Washington had the best chance to end hostilities due to the country's historic ties with Pakistan and its close ties with India.
"Ultimately, the United States is a superpower that can bring both sides to the table," he said.
Diaa Hadid reported in Mumbai, India. Bilal Kuchay contributed to Srinagar’s coverage, Indian-managed Kashmir, Betsy Joles contributed by Omkar Khandekar in Lahore, Pakistan and Mumbai.