Pakistan says it has shot down 25 drones, India says it pushed back Pakistani retaliationTopic:Unrest, Conflict and War2h ago2 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 11:48amA big hole is seen on a rooftop of a house suspected to have been damaged in Indian drone attack. (AP: Fareed Khan)In short:Pakistan shot down 25 attack drones from India in its airspace on Thursday and four soldiers were wounded, the Pakistani military said.India said it "neutralised" Pakistan's attempts to strike military targets with drones and missiles.What's next?Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to avenge the deaths in the strikes, raising fears the two countries could be headed toward another all-out conflict.abc.net.au/news/india-fires-attack-drones-into-pakistan/105271152Link copiedShareShare articlePakistan's military says it has shot down 25 attack drones from India in its airspace on Thursday, with Islamabad saying further retaliation was "increasingly certain".One civilian was killed and another was injured in the drone attacks in Sindh, while four soldiers were wounded in Lahore, according to the Pakistani military.Pakistan vows revenge for air strikes, but signals willingness to de-escalatePhoto shows Rubble covers the ground of a mosque that was hit by Indian missile attack. As the world waits with bated breath to see what will happen next between India and Pakistan, there are signs the conflict between the two nuclear-armed states may have reached a plateau.India said it "neutralised" Pakistan's attempts to strike military targets with drones and missiles, as fighting spread between the nuclear-armed neighbours.Hours after the first drone attacks, India's Defense Ministry said it targeted air defence systems in several locations in Pakistan, but did not say whether it used drones.A spokesperson from Pakistani Armed Forces said the attack was "cowardly" and "is a sign of India's anxiety and hunger."Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters on Thursday that India's drone incursions made Pakistan's attack on India "increasingly certain"."I will still refrain from saying it is 100 per cent. But the situation has become very difficult. We have to respond," Mr Asif said.The country's aviation authority later announced that flight operations at Karachi airport would be suspended until 12am local time on Thursday evening, citing operational reasons.Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours have soared since gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, in India-controlled Kashmir last month.India accused Pakistan of being behind the assault. Islamabad denies that.Indian strikes on Wednesday killed 31 civilians, including women and children, according to Pakistani officials.More people were killed on both sides of the border in heavy exchanges of fire that followed.It was their worst confrontation since 2019, when the rivals came close to war.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to avenge the deaths in the strikes, raising fears the two countries could be headed toward another all-out conflict.Fears of an escalating conflictWith tensions high, India evacuated thousands of people from villages near the two countries' highly militarised frontier in Kashmir.Tens of thousands of people slept in shelters overnight, officials and residents said on Thursday.About 2,000 villagers also fled their homes in Pakistani-administered Kashmir.Mohammad Iftikhar boarded a vehicle in Chakothi with his family on Thursday as heavy rain lashed the region.Villagers have fled their homes in and around Kashmir. (AP: Channi Anand)"I am helplessly leaving my home for the safety of my children and wife," he said.Flights remained suspended at over two dozen airports across northern and western regions in India, according to travel advisories by multiple airlines.Pakistan has suspended flights at four of its airports — Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot — according to the Civil Aviation Authority.India's Foreign Ministry said that 13 civilians were killed and 59 wounded the previous day during exchanges of fire across the de facto border.An Indian soldier was also killed by shelling on Wednesday, according to the Indian army.Pakistani officials said six people have been killed near highly militarised frontier in exchanges of fire during the past day.ABC/WiresLoading YouTube contentPosted 2h ago2 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 11:48am, updated 54m ago54 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 1:38pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesCabinet ministers Mark Dreyfus, Ed Husic scrapped from new Albanese ministryTopic:Political LeadershipPhoto shows a composite image of two men wearing suitsMore women in Labor than ever but top jobs still going to menBAnalysis by Brett WorthingtonPhoto shows Anika Wells Amanda Rishworth Katie Gallagher Anne AlyJacinta Nampijinpa Price joins Liberal Party as leadership race heats upTopic:Political Parties and MovementsPhoto shows A close up shot of a woman wearing a white blazer and black and white shirt.Conclave's second day begins with more black smoke as voting continuesTopic:Religious LeadersPhoto shows Black smoke spewing from a chimney.Wrong warnings, panicked staff: Bondi inquest reveals timeline of confusionTopic:CrimePhoto shows Paramedics stand with stretches near vehicles on a road.Related stories'Feels like a tipping point': India and Pakistan diaspora grapple with Kashmir conflictTopic:Unrest, Conflict and WarPhoto shows A man with his grandmother dressed in white. Are India and Pakistan at war? It depends what the next few hours bringAnalysis by Meghna BaliPhoto shows Five Indian Air Force soldiers sit and look out the open back of a truck.Full-scale war looms 'if missiles start raining' between India, PakistanTopic:ExplainerPhoto shows Debris of an aircraft lie at the backyard of a house in KashmirRelated topicsIndiaPakistanUnrest, Conflict and WarTop StoriesCabinet ministers Mark Dreyfus, Ed Husic scrapped from new Albanese ministryTopic:Political LeadershipPhoto shows a composite image of two men wearing suitsMore women in Labor than ever but top jobs still going to menBAnalysis by Brett WorthingtonJacinta Nampijinpa Price joins Liberal Party as leadership race heats upTopic:Political Parties and MovementsConclave's second day begins with more black smoke as voting continuesTopic:Religious LeadersWrong warnings, panicked staff: Bondi inquest reveals timeline of confusionTopic:CrimeJust InMan charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston after crashing into her homeTopic:Courts8m ago8 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 2:23pmMaro Itoje captains British and Irish Lions squad for Australia tourTopic:Rugby Union1m ago1 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 2:31pmGerman spy agency pauses 'extremist' classification for AfD partyTopic:World Politics1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 1:14pmSam Kerr announces birth of son with partner Kristie MewisTopic:Soccer2h ago2 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 11:52amMore Just InBack to top