SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Photo: An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet (Wikimedia Commons).
India's Attack on Pakistan Sparks Fear of Wider War
The early morning air raid was the latest moment of escalation in a month of rising tensions.
Feb 25, 2019
Warplanes from India launched an attack on an alleged militant camp Tuesday morning, violating Pakistani airspace in the disputed territory of Kashmir in the latest escalation between the two nuclear powers. The attack carried with it fears of wider war between the two countries.
"Armed conflicts once started take their own course without either side being in control to decide where such hostilities will end," Professor Muzaffar Ahmed told Indian news service IANS.
The aerial attack came in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, after a Feb. 14 suicide attack on Indian security forces in the Kashmiri town of Pulwama, which killed 42, led to India cutting Pakistan off from a key water source controlled by the former on Feb. 21.
The result of the morning's Indian incursion was unclear at press time. Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale claimed the attack struck a militant training camp and blamed the Pakistani government for allowing the camp to flourish. "The existence of such training facilities, capable of training hundreds of jihadis," said Gokhale, "could not have functioned without the knowledge of the Pakistani authorities."
Pakistani sources disagreed with the Indian version of events and said the Indian planes had dropped their payload without a target, showing craters near the small town of Balakot as evidence.
Balakot residents told the Associated Press that they were awakened in the early morning by the bombs but that the raid had no other effect than frightening them.
"We didn't think for a moment that it was from planes but the explosions were very powerful," said resident Mohammed Abbas.
The invasion of Pakistani territory by Indian jets marks a significant and dangerous step in the fraught relationship between the two nuclear neighbors, whose countries have fought four wars already in 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999.
Imran Khan, Pakistan's new Prime Minister, referred to Indian allegations of hitting the training camp as "a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim." Pakistan's National Security Committee said that the country would respond to the raid "at a time and place of our choosing."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at an election rally, did not refer specifically to the morning's attack but said that he would not give in to Pakistan.
"I will not let the country bend," Modi said.
Any escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan that could lead to war could lead to the use of nuclear weapons and possibly trigger a wider regional conflict. China, a longtime ally of India and the third claimant to Kashmiri territory, urged restraint on both sides.
Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told reporters China hopes that its neighbors will "exercise restraint and take actions that will help stabilize the situation in the region and help to improve mutual relations."
That seemed unlikely Tuesday as gunfire was reportedly heard at the border.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Warplanes from India launched an attack on an alleged militant camp Tuesday morning, violating Pakistani airspace in the disputed territory of Kashmir in the latest escalation between the two nuclear powers. The attack carried with it fears of wider war between the two countries.
"Armed conflicts once started take their own course without either side being in control to decide where such hostilities will end," Professor Muzaffar Ahmed told Indian news service IANS.
The aerial attack came in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, after a Feb. 14 suicide attack on Indian security forces in the Kashmiri town of Pulwama, which killed 42, led to India cutting Pakistan off from a key water source controlled by the former on Feb. 21.
The result of the morning's Indian incursion was unclear at press time. Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale claimed the attack struck a militant training camp and blamed the Pakistani government for allowing the camp to flourish. "The existence of such training facilities, capable of training hundreds of jihadis," said Gokhale, "could not have functioned without the knowledge of the Pakistani authorities."
Pakistani sources disagreed with the Indian version of events and said the Indian planes had dropped their payload without a target, showing craters near the small town of Balakot as evidence.
Balakot residents told the Associated Press that they were awakened in the early morning by the bombs but that the raid had no other effect than frightening them.
"We didn't think for a moment that it was from planes but the explosions were very powerful," said resident Mohammed Abbas.
The invasion of Pakistani territory by Indian jets marks a significant and dangerous step in the fraught relationship between the two nuclear neighbors, whose countries have fought four wars already in 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999.
Imran Khan, Pakistan's new Prime Minister, referred to Indian allegations of hitting the training camp as "a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim." Pakistan's National Security Committee said that the country would respond to the raid "at a time and place of our choosing."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at an election rally, did not refer specifically to the morning's attack but said that he would not give in to Pakistan.
"I will not let the country bend," Modi said.
Any escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan that could lead to war could lead to the use of nuclear weapons and possibly trigger a wider regional conflict. China, a longtime ally of India and the third claimant to Kashmiri territory, urged restraint on both sides.
Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told reporters China hopes that its neighbors will "exercise restraint and take actions that will help stabilize the situation in the region and help to improve mutual relations."
That seemed unlikely Tuesday as gunfire was reportedly heard at the border.
Warplanes from India launched an attack on an alleged militant camp Tuesday morning, violating Pakistani airspace in the disputed territory of Kashmir in the latest escalation between the two nuclear powers. The attack carried with it fears of wider war between the two countries.
"Armed conflicts once started take their own course without either side being in control to decide where such hostilities will end," Professor Muzaffar Ahmed told Indian news service IANS.
The aerial attack came in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, after a Feb. 14 suicide attack on Indian security forces in the Kashmiri town of Pulwama, which killed 42, led to India cutting Pakistan off from a key water source controlled by the former on Feb. 21.
The result of the morning's Indian incursion was unclear at press time. Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale claimed the attack struck a militant training camp and blamed the Pakistani government for allowing the camp to flourish. "The existence of such training facilities, capable of training hundreds of jihadis," said Gokhale, "could not have functioned without the knowledge of the Pakistani authorities."
Pakistani sources disagreed with the Indian version of events and said the Indian planes had dropped their payload without a target, showing craters near the small town of Balakot as evidence.
Balakot residents told the Associated Press that they were awakened in the early morning by the bombs but that the raid had no other effect than frightening them.
"We didn't think for a moment that it was from planes but the explosions were very powerful," said resident Mohammed Abbas.
The invasion of Pakistani territory by Indian jets marks a significant and dangerous step in the fraught relationship between the two nuclear neighbors, whose countries have fought four wars already in 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999.
Imran Khan, Pakistan's new Prime Minister, referred to Indian allegations of hitting the training camp as "a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim." Pakistan's National Security Committee said that the country would respond to the raid "at a time and place of our choosing."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at an election rally, did not refer specifically to the morning's attack but said that he would not give in to Pakistan.
"I will not let the country bend," Modi said.
Any escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan that could lead to war could lead to the use of nuclear weapons and possibly trigger a wider regional conflict. China, a longtime ally of India and the third claimant to Kashmiri territory, urged restraint on both sides.
Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told reporters China hopes that its neighbors will "exercise restraint and take actions that will help stabilize the situation in the region and help to improve mutual relations."
That seemed unlikely Tuesday as gunfire was reportedly heard at the border.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy