• Pakistan claims to have shot down up to 25 Indian drones amid military tensions.
• Recent drone and missile exchanges have resulted in civilian and military casualties.
• Leaders from both countries are raising fears of an escalating conflict over Kashmir.

Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pakistani military reported that it shot down 25 drones from India that violated its airspace, a significant escalation following missile strikes earlier this week that killed at least 31 civilians, including women and children, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Pakistan's military spokesperson, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, asserted that Indian forces launched multiple drone incursions using Israeli-made Harop drones, primarily targeting major cities such as Karachi and Lahore. He reported that one drone managed to partially engage a military target near Lahore, resulting in injuries to four Pakistani soldiers and one civilian death, as confirmed by AA, Channel News Asia, and CBS News.

In retaliation to Indian strikes, which the Indian government labeled as targeting “terrorist infrastructure,” Pakistani officials claimed to have neutralized other drone threats, maintaining a high alert level for military engagements along the Line of Control (LoC). Chaudhry described the situation as a "naked act of aggression," and emphasized that Pakistan would respond decisively, according to TRT Global, Channel News Asia, and Newsweek.

The rapid escalation follows a recent terror attack in Indian-administrated Kashmir, which killed 26 people, primarily Indian Hindu tourists. India accused Pakistan of responsibility for this attack, a claim that Islamabad vehemently denied, citing that India's military actions are inciting further conflict, as documented by AA and Newsweek.

As both nations prepare for potential further military action, fears of a broader conflict loom with residents in border regions evacuating their homes. Officials on both sides are urging diplomatic interventions amid escalating military preparedness and precautionary evacuations in India, underscoring the fragile situation between these nuclear neighbors, which has persisted for decades, as highlighted in perspectives from Al Jazeera and TRT Global.