NEW DELHI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Militaries of India and Pakistan Saturday targeted each other with drones and missiles as the situation escalated between the two neighbors.
The Indian government, in its media briefing, blamed Pakistan for "continued provocations" along India's western border and on Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, by using unmanned combat aerial vehicles, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter jets to target civilian areas and military infrastructure.
"Pakistan military also resorted to air intrusions using drones and firing of heavy calibre weapons along the LoC. Along the international border and the LoC, air intrusions and several harassment attacks were also attempted from Srinagar till Naliya at more than 26 locations," Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told media during the briefing.
"There were also several high-speed missile attacks noticed subsequently after 0140 hours (local time) in the night at several air bases in Punjab," said the commander.
Singh, admitted that Indian forces carried out precision airstrikes on Pakistan Air Force bases.
Reports said debris of missiles, drones and other munitions was recovered from several areas of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and the Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Residents in Srinagar and Jammu in the Indian-controlled Kashmir said they heard loud explosions during the night and early Saturday morning. Similar reports are pouring in from Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Authorities enforced a blackout Friday night across multiple cities near border areas due to anticipated aerial attacks. There was a power outage all night.
A local newspaper, The Tribune, on Saturday said a senior local government official and a toddler were among the five killed in overnight shelling.
The fresh deaths have taken the civilian death toll to 22, besides over 50 other wounded in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. Many houses have also been damaged.
A military standoff between New Delhi and Islamabad erupted following India's deadly airstrikes on targets in Pakistan and the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday.
India said the strikes were in response to last month's killing of 26 people by gunmen in the Indian-controlled Kashmir.
New Delhi blames Islamabad for supporting the gunmen behind the attack, a charge denied by Islamabad. ■