Photo： VCG

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday issued a strong condemnation of India's latest military attacks, calling them "blatant aggression" that has "brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict."

"Pakistan strongly condemns India's blatant aggression," the ministry said in an official statement, denouncing what it described as an "unprovoked and blatant act of war." According to the statement, the Indian Air Force used standoff weapons while remaining within Indian airspace to strike civilian areas across the international border in Muridke, Sialkot, and Bahawalpur, and across Line of Control in Kotli and Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. "India's act of aggression has resulted in martyrdom of civilians, including women and children. This act of aggression has also caused grave threat to commercial air traffic," said the statement.

"We strongly condemn India's cowardly action, which is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms of inter-state relations," the ministry stated.

In the wake of Pahalgam attack, the Indian leadership has once again used the bogey of terrorism to advance its sham narrative of victimhood, jeopardizing regional peace and security. India's reckless action has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict, said the statement.

In its statement, Pakistan asserted its right to respond: "Pakistan reserves the right to respond appropriately at a time and place of its choosing, in accordance with the Article-51 of the UN Charter, and as enshrined in international law."

"The government, armed forces and people of Pakistan stand united in the face of Indian aggression. They will always act with iron resolve to protect and preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan," the statement added.

The Pakistani statement follows the deadliest fighting between the two countries in more than two decades. According to Reuters, Indian forces attacked several targets in Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir on Wednesday. Islamabad claimed it had shot down five Indian fighter jets.

India said it struck nine Pakistani "terrorist infrastructure" sites, some of which reportedly linked to an attack by militants on Hindu tourists that killed 26 people in Indian-controlled Kashmir last month. Islamabad said six Pakistani locations were targeted, with eight people killed, according to Reuters.

As of press time, India's Ministry of External Affairs had not officially responded. However, according to a Wednesday report by TASS, Indian government sources said New Delhi had briefed several countries - including Russia, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the US - about the Indian military strike, which New Delhi called "Operation Sindoor."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through a spokesperson, urged both sides to exercise maximum military restraint, according to Reuters.

In response to a media inquiry about the ongoing situation between India and Pakistan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that China finds India's military operation early this morning regrettable. 

"We are concerned about the ongoing situation. India and Pakistan are and will always be each other's neighbors. They're both China's neighbors as well. China opposes all forms of terrorism. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation," said the spokesperson.

Global Times