Pakistan's Artillery Retaliation After India's Operation Sindoor Leaves 9 Civilians Dead, 38 Injured

Following India’s targeted missile strikes under “Operation Sindoor” on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a sharp escalation in hostilities unfolded along the Line of Control (LoC). In retaliation, the Pakistani Army launched intense cross-border shelling, which claimed the lives of at least nine civilians and injured 38 more in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian officials confirmed on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

The artillery fire affected multiple districts in the Jammu region. Among the casualties, one person was killed in Mendhar while six others died in Poonch. Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were also reported injured in Poonch when a shell struck a local bus stand. A woman was also reportedly killed in Mankote, although her death has yet to be officially confirmed by authorities.

Lt Colonel Suneel Baratwal, PRO (Defence) of Northern Command, confirmed that the shelling occurred during the night of May 6–7. Pakistani forces, according to him, engaged in indiscriminate firing using heavy artillery from posts across the LoC and International Border (IB) opposite Jammu and Kashmir. The most affected sectors include Krishna Ghati, Shahpur, and Mankote in Poonch district, along with Laam, Manjakote, and Gambeer Brahmana in Rajouri district. Heavy artillery fire was also heard in the Uri and Tangdhar sectors of the Kashmir Valley.

The cross-border shelling appears to be a direct response to India’s military operation earlier that day. India’s Defence Ministry, in an official statement, described “Operation Sindoor” as a precision strike focused on eliminating terrorist infrastructure without targeting any Pakistani military facilities. The Ministry emphasized that the mission was “measured and non-escalatory” in nature, showing India’s restraint in both target selection and method of execution.

Despite that, the retaliatory action by Pakistani forces significantly disrupted civilian life in the affected border areas. As a precautionary measure, authorities ordered the closure of schools and colleges in five districts — Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch — citing rising security concerns amid escalating tensions.

Air travel was also severely impacted. Airports in border-adjacent cities like Jammu, Srinagar, and Leh temporarily suspended operations. Air India canceled several flights to and from northern Indian cities until at least noon on May 7. Other airlines issued travel advisories and rerouted flights to avoid risk areas.

The Indian Army further reported that Pakistani artillery fire was observed in the Bhimber Gali sector, labeling it as another breach of the existing ceasefire agreement. According to the Army, Indian forces are responding in a “calibrated manner,” underlining a strategy to contain the situation without provoking full-scale military conflict.

The ongoing escalation is one of the most significant flare-ups between India and Pakistan in recent years and has intensified public anxiety in both countries, particularly in the border regions. It follows months of tension following a deadly attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir last month, an incident that India has attributed to Pakistan-based militants, though Islamabad has denied involvement.