India launches missile attacks on Pakistan

India has launched strikes on several parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled territory, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

Pakistani news outlets are reporting

In an assault India dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” the Indian military said it struck nine sites in “Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.”

The Indian Defense Ministry said the strikes were in response to a militant attack that killed 26 people in India-administered Kashmir last month.

Tensions have been on the rise between India and Pakistan since April 22, when gunmen killed at least 26 tourists and injured a dozen others in India-administered Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of having a connection to the attack — the worst aimed at Indian civilians in more than a decade.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned India’s attacks, which were overnight in early hours Wednesday local time, and vowed that Pakistan would respond forcefully.

“Pakistan has every right to respond forcefully to this act of war imposed by India, and a forceful response is being given,” Sharif said on social media. “The Pakistani nation and the Pakistani armed forces know how to deal with the enemy. We will never allow the enemy to succeed in their nefarious goals.”

President Trump was asked by a reporter about the attack at the White House.

“It’s a shame, we just heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval,” Trump said. “They’ve been fighting for a long time,” he said. “I just hope it ends very quickly.”

The U.N. secretary-general’s office called for “maximum military restraint” from both India and Pakistan, saying the world cannot afford a war between them.

This is a developing story.

 

The world witnessed George Floyd’s murder. 5 years later, what has changed?

Five years after George Floyd's death sparked worldwide protests over police brutality and racism, NPR's Michel Martin reflects on Morning Edition's return to Minneapolis to examine what has changed.

Russia hits Ukraine with the largest drone-and-missile attack of the war so far

At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in strikes that hit more than 30 cities and villages across Ukraine.

Billy Joel cancels tour dates after diagnosis. What to know about the brain condition

The singer canceled his summer tour dates and revealed he has a brain condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus. It's treatable but tricky to diagnose, doctors say.

Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just An Accident’ wins Palme d’Or at Cannes

The dissident filmmaker's thriller is a stinging critique of oppression in his home country.

Americans are warned as latest DMV phishing scam targets phones

Your state DMV probably won't text you about unpaid fees — but scammers will.

By the numbers: A look at international students at Harvard and across the U.S.

The latest criticism from the Trump administration of Harvard University highlighted the number of international students entering the United States each year for higher education.

More Front Page Coverage