SRINAGAR, India — Explosions shook Indian Kashmir and the Sikh holy city of Amritsar on Friday night, signaling a dangerous escalation in hostilities between India and Pakistan, marking the most intense fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors in nearly three decades.
Amid widespread blackouts and chaos, the Indian military reported intercepting dozens of drones across the country’s northwestern frontier, stretching from Kashmir to the Arabian Sea. The blasts in Amritsar — the first to strike the Punjab city since the conflict reignited three days ago — raised fears of a widening battlefield, drawing global concern over the trajectory of the violence.
Indian officials reported multiple aerial sightings and intercepts, with drones appearing in at least 26 locations. In Srinagar, ten explosions thundered near the airport, while the winter capital of Jammu experienced another night of darkness and unrest. “Drones have been sighted… They are being engaged,” an Indian military source told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Indian Army confirmed a drone attack injured a family in Ferozepur, a city near the Pakistan border in Punjab state. Meanwhile, in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, local officials reported that five civilians — including an infant — were killed and at least 29 others wounded by cross-border shelling early Friday.
The intensifying conflict follows India’s airstrikes on what it labeled “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan on Wednesday, a response to a deadly attack last month on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack and dismissed Indian accusations of aggression as “baseless and misleading.” In turn, India accused Pakistan of launching retaliatory assaults Thursday night, which Islamabad also denied.
The growing toll has now reached an estimated 48 fatalities on both sides, although those figures remain unverified by independent sources.
Sirens blared for hours in Amritsar on Friday, prompting an exodus of tourists. Roads out of the city were packed as visitors fled amid reports of aerial threats and prolonged blackouts. “We really wanted to stay, but the loud sounds, sirens, and blackouts are giving us sleepless nights,” said a British tourist who requested anonymity. “Our families back home are worried for us.”
Elsewhere, Indian authorities shut schools in Bikaner near the Rajasthan border, encouraged residents to relocate, and kept evacuation transport on standby in Bhuj, Gujarat. In Kashmir and other northern regions, residents stocked up on food and were told to stay indoors as fears of further strikes mounted.
The cross-border fighting marks the most dangerous escalation since the 1999 Kargil conflict. The hostilities have also taken an economic toll: Indian markets suffered a second day of losses Friday, shedding roughly $83 billion in value. Pakistan’s benchmark share index, by contrast, climbed over 3.5%, boosted by relative calm in its territory following Thursday’s exchange.
India’s response has included the deployment of drones into Pakistani territory. Indian Air Force officer Vyomika Singh told reporters that at least one Pakistani air defense system was destroyed. Meanwhile, Pakistan has denied launching any “offensive actions.”
The White House said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio remains in constant contact with both governments. President Donald Trump has urged both nations to de-escalate, according to a statement released in Washington.
As tensions soar between the longtime rivals, the broader regional and global stakes are becoming increasingly clear. Both countries have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over the disputed Kashmir region.
Reuters
