India's 'Operation Sindoor' Strikes Pakistan After Pahalgam Attack, Killing 26

India has launched missile strikes targeting Pakistan, escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations. The Indian military announced the commencement of 'Operation Sindoor,' which involved missile attacks on nine sites within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. These strikes were in response to a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which India attributes to Pakistan, resulting in 26 civilians killed and 46 injured. Pakistani security officials reported that the missiles struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province, killing at least one child and injuring two others. The strikes hit civilian areas, including a mosque in Bahawalpur, Punjab. Pakistan has vowed to respond to the attacks, with its military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, stating that the response would be at a time and place of their choosing. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the strikes as an 'act of war.' The Indian Defense Ministry emphasized that the strikes were focused, measured, and non-escalatory, targeting only terrorist infrastructure and avoiding Pakistani military facilities. This operation underscores India's resolve to hold those responsible for the Pahalgam attack accountable while maintaining restraint in its military actions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump expressed hope for a quick end to the conflict, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for maximum military restraint from both sides.