Jammu, May 10, 2025 – Pakistan’s military actions have escalated tensions with India, with confirmed attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, in Jammu and Kashmir. The strikes, involving heavy artillery shelling and drone incursions, have drawn sharp condemnation from Indian authorities, including Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who addressed the violations during a military briefing.
On the night of May 8 and continuing into May 9, 2025, Pakistani forces launched attacks across Jammu and Kashmir. Indian defense sources report that the Composite Hospital CRPF Bantalab in Jammu, marked with a Red Cross per the Geneva Convention, was hit, alongside school premises in Srinagar, Awantipura, Udhampur, Poonch, and Rajouri. Religious sites, including a gurudwara, were also targeted.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri condemned the shelling, stating, “A Pakistani shell hit the home of two Christ School students in Poonch, killing both and seriously injuring their parents.” The Indian Ministry of External Affairs accused Pakistan of violating international norms. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, in a briefing, underscored the severity, saying, “Pakistan’s deliberate targeting of civilian facilities, including hospitals marked under the Geneva Convention, is a grave violation of humanitarian principles.”
The attacks have caused significant casualties. In Rajouri, Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thapa was killed when an artillery shell struck his residence on May 10, 2025. Two staff members were critically injured. Across Poonch and Rajouri, at least 15 civilians were killed and 43 injured, with homes and civilian property heavily damaged.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah mourned Thapa’s loss, stating, “Just yesterday, he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district. Today, his residence was hit by Pakistani shelling.” Abdullah urged Pakistan to cease hostilities, adding, “These attacks only deepen the suffering and must stop.”
The violence follows India’s “Operation Sindoor,” launched on May 7, 2025, in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 civilians. India conducted missile strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), targeting groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan retaliated with drone and missile attacks on 26 Indian locations, including military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur. Indian air defenses intercepted eight missiles, but shelling caused widespread disruption, with blackouts enforced across Jammu.
The Indian Army has placed border areas under close surveillance, urging residents to stay indoors. Surface-to-air missile systems were activated in Srinagar, and Indian forces struck Pakistani military assets in Rahim Yar Khan and four airbases, including Nur Khan and Rafiqui. The Jammu and Kashmir government closed schools, colleges, and universities until May 11, 2025, shifting to online classes. Nearly 10,000 residents from five border districts have been evacuated to relief camps.
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress condemned Pakistan, declaring, “Pakistan will have to pay for its sins.” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied targeting civilian areas, calling Indian accusations “politically motivated.”
The India-Pakistan border has seen 14 consecutive nights of ceasefire violations, with heavy artillery exchanges along the LoC in Rajouri, Poonch, Kupwara, Uri, and Baramulla. The conflict, rooted in decades of disputes over Kashmir, raises fears of broader escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
As millions in Jammu and Kashmir face blackouts, curfews, and the threat of further strikes, the international community has called for restraint. With both sides engaged in retaliatory operations, de-escalation remains uncertain, leaving the region on edge.