On Wednesday morning (7-5-2025), India launched several missile attacks on different parts of Pakistan and areas controlled by Pakistan in Kashmir. Reports say at least 26 people died, including a three-year-old child.
India said it was carrying out “Operation Sindoor” and aimed at nine locations where it believes terrorists were operating.
In return, Pakistan claimed it shot down five Indian planes, although India hasn’t confirmed this. Local authorities said at least 10 civilians died in areas controlled by India in Kashmir due to Pakistani gunfire since Wednesday morning.
Why Did India Attack?
According to Pakistan’s military, India targeted six places — four in Punjab province and two in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir: Muzaffarabad and Kotli. India also said it hit another location, Bhimber, in the same region. This is the first time India is attacking Punjab province since the 1971 war.
India’s action was in response to an attack on April 22, where gunmen killed 25 tourists and a pony rider in Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot in Indian-administered Kashmir. Witnesses said the attackers separated men from women and appeared to target non-Muslims before running away. Security forces have yet to catch them, even after 16 days.
A Long History of Tension
India and Pakistan have been enemies since they got independence in 1947, when Britain split the region into a Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India. That partition caused one of the most violent mass migrations in history.
Since then, the two neighbours — now both nuclear-armed — have fought four wars and had several violent clashes, especially over Kashmir. India, Pakistan, and China all control parts of Kashmir, but India claims the entire region, while Pakistan insists it owns the part managed by India.
Tensions flared again after a 2019 suicide bombing killed over 40 Indian soldiers. India responded with airstrikes on what it said were terrorist bases in Balakot, Pakistan — though some experts doubt how effective those strikes were.
Comparing Military Power
According to Global Firepower’s 2025 rankings, India has the fourth-strongest military in the world, while Pakistan is ranked 12th.
In 2024, India spent $86 billion on its military — 2.3% of its GDP — making it the fifth-biggest spender globally. Pakistan spent $10.2 billion, which is 2.7% of its GDP.
India has about 5.1 million military personnel, nearly three times more than Pakistan’s 1.7 million. India also has more military equipment:
- Aircraft: 2,229 (India) vs 1,399 (Pakistan)
- Combat tanks: 3,151 (India) vs 1,839 (Pakistan)
- Naval assets: 293 (India) vs 121 (Pakistan)
The Nuclear Arms Race
In 2023, countries worldwide spent around $91.4 billion on nuclear weapons. India used $2.7 billion, while Pakistan spent $1 billion.
India tested its first nuclear bomb in 1974 and declared itself a nuclear state in 1998 after carrying out five more tests. Pakistan responded with its own nuclear tests the same year.
Since then, both countries have spent billions trying to outmatch each other in nuclear and missile technology. India’s missiles target Pakistan and China and are now being developed for use from land, ships, and submarines — some with Russian help. Pakistan’s missiles are mobile and mostly short- to medium-range, capable of reaching India. China has supported Pakistan’s missile and nuclear tech.
Who Sells Them Weapons?
India and Pakistan’s rivalry keeps pushing them to buy more weapons.
From 2020 to 2024, India was the second-biggest arms importer in the world (after Ukraine), making up 8.3% of all global weapons imports. Most of India’s weapons come from Russia, but it is now also buying more from France, Israel, and the U.S.
Pakistan’s arms imports rose by 61% in recent years. It is now the fifth-largest buyer globally, with China supplying 81% of its weapons between 2020 and 2024.
