3 Indian civilians killed in indiscriminate firing by the Pakistan Army from across LoC, says India

Three civilians were killed in indiscriminate firing by the Pakistan Army, India said in a statement on Wednesday. The Army responded swiftly, leading to the Pakistan Army suffering casualties, news agency ANI reported, citing defence sources.

Manjeet Negi, IT, New Delhi, May 7, 2025  : The Indian Army on Wednesday said the Pakistan Army resorted to arbitrary firing along the Line of Control and the International Border, killing three civilians. The development came hours after 'Operation Sindoor', India's retaliatory move in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, that claimed 26 lives, mainly tourists.

"Three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing/shelling. The Indian Army are responding in a proportionate manner," the Indian Army said in a statement. An exchange of heavy artillery shelling is still underway along the LoC, sources said.

The Army responded "very effectively" to the firing, in which artillery guns were used by the Pakistani Army, news agency ANI reported, citing defence sources. The Pakistan Army has suffered casualties in India's retaliation, the sources added.

As part of Operation Sindoor, India targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in a "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature" move. The operation is a joint move by the Army, Air Force and Navy, wherein India targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK from where attacks against India have been planned and directed, the government said in a statement.

The infrastructure was linked to three major terror outfits - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Located nearly 100 km from the international border, Bahawalpur is widely considered the centre of JeM operations and has been under India's lens since the 2019 Pulwama attack. Muridke, Gulpur, Sawai, Bilal camp, Kotli camp, Barnala camp, Sarjal camp and Mehmoona Camp are the other eight locations in Pakistan and PoJK struck by India.

According to sources, all strikes on the nine targets were successful and the Air Force pilots involved in 'Operation Sindoor' are safe. Sources further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was closely monitoring the operation.

Pakistan claimed that six places have been struck, and eight have been killed in the Indian strike. However, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, during his call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, informed that no Pakistani civilian had been hit and only economic or military targets were struck.

"No Pakistani civilian, economic or military targets have been hit. Only known terror camps were targeted," a press release from the Embassy of India in Washington DC was quoted by news agency PTI.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the strikes an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply."