Eleven Pakistani troops were killed and 78 others injured during a military operation launched in response to Indian airstrikes that Islamabad says targeted civilians in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, military said on Tuesday.
The military accused India of carrying out “unprovoked” air and missile attacks on the night of May 6–7, which it says killed 40 civilians—including 15 children and seven women—and injured more than 120 others.
Pakistan responded with what it described as a calibrated military operation under the codename Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, targeting Indian positions along the frontier. The operation was part of a wider campaign Islamabad called Marka-e-Haq or “battle for truth.”
The 11 personnel killed in the response include six from the Pakistan Army and five from the Pakistan Air Force, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). In a statement, the military said the troops died while defending the motherland.
The names of the deceased service members were also released:
- Pakistan Army:
Naik Abdul Rehman
Lance Naik Dilawar Khan
Lance Naik Ikramullah
Naik Waqar Khalid
Sepoy Muhammad Adeel Akbar
Sepoy Nisar
- Pakistan Air Force:
Squadron Leader Usman Yousuf
Chief Technician Aurangzeb
Senior Technician Najeeb
Corporal Technician Farooq
Senior Technician Mubashir
Pakistan’s military paid tribute to the civilians and service members killed and expressed hope for the swift recovery of the wounded.
Worst border escalation in decades
The tensions marked one of the worst escalations in the region in decades. Tensions surged after India accused Pakistan of supporting a cross-border militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 Indian tourists—an accusation Pakistan strongly denies.
Islamabad has called for an independent investigation and maintains that its support to Kashmiri separatists is limited to political and diplomatic backing.
India said it launched strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan said the targets were civilian areas.
Trump announces ceasefire
After days of cross-border fighting, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on Saturday. The truce brought a temporary calm to the region.
Pakistan welcomed Washington’s role in facilitating the ceasefire and mediation efforts. India has not publicly acknowledged U.S. involvement and insists the Kashmir conflict must be resolved bilaterally.
The skirmishes rattled financial markets in both countries. Pakistan’s benchmark KSE index surged 9% on Monday after three days of steep losses. Indian stocks also rebounded after investors pulled $83 billion from equities during the peak of the tensions.
Meanwhile, India’s opposition Congress party has called for a special parliamentary session and urged the government to explain its stance on both the military response and U.S. statements on Kashmir.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947, two of them over Kashmir. The region remains one of the world’s most militarized and disputed territories, claimed in full by both countries but administered in parts.
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