Pakistan Vows Strong Retaliation After India Targets Civilians in Missile Strikes
ISLAMABAD:Pakistan’s Defence Minister, **Khawaja Mohammad Asif**, has strongly condemned India’s missile attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan, vowing a “decisive response” to the unprovoked aggression. India launched missile strikes on three cities in Pakistan, targeting **Kotli, Muzaffarabad**, and **Bahawalpur**, resulting in the martyrdom of an innocent child and multiple civilian casualties.
Speaking to **Geo News**, Defence Minister Asif stated, “India has targeted civilian populations and religious sites, including mosques. This cowardly attack will not go unanswered. We will respond with even greater force, both militarily and diplomatically.”
The **Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)**, **Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry**, confirmed the missile strikes on three locations: **Kotli**, **Muzaffarabad**, and **Bahawalpur**, all in Pakistan-administered areas. The attacks were launched under the cover of darkness, striking civilian areas with no military targets in sight.
Pakistan has already initiated a series of countermeasures, with both **military** and **diplomatic** responses being planned. Minister Asif emphasized that India would face a “robust and immediate” reply, stressing that the lives of innocent civilians would not be forgotten.
In the aftermath of the missile strikes, Pakistan’s **armed forces** are reportedly preparing for a possible escalation, with the nation’s **airspace** under increased vigilance and emergency medical services placed on high alert.
The **Indian Ministry of Defence** has not commented on the specific civilian casualties, but continues to assert that the strikes targeted “militant infrastructure” in the disputed region.
The international community has called for both sides to exercise restraint, as the situation threatens to spiral into a broader conflict. **UN** officials have urged India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue to de-escalate the crisis and avoid further loss of innocent lives.
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