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Pakistan-administered Kashmir: ‘Six killed, 29 injured in shelling and firing last night’
Authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir say that at least six people have been killed and 29 injured as a result of Indian firing and shelling along the Line of Control and adjacent areas yesterday.

Women are also among the dead and injured.

A detailed damage report released by the government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Friday morning said that two houses had also suffered partial damage as a result of the shelling.

According to the report, the six people who died belong to Kotli (4), Bhimber (1) and Bagh (1).

Two women were among the dead. According to the report, nine women and three children were among the 29 injured. The injured hailed from Kotli, Bhimber, Bagh, Neelam, Poonj and Haveli.

According to this report, a total of 17 people have been killed and 51 injured in Pakistan-administered Kashmir along the Line of Control and adjacent areas since the India-Pakistan tension began on Wednesday (May 7).

In addition, 139 residential houses have been partially or completely damaged

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Positive start to business in Pakistan stock market, stock market in India in recession

After a sharp decline in the Pakistan stock market over the past two days due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan, trading in the market started positively on Friday morning, with the index recording an increase of more than 2,400 points in the first half hour of trading.

On the other hand, the Indian stock market saw a negative trend on Friday.

According to analysts in Pakistan, the market started trading positively and the index increased by more than 2,400 points, after which investors sold shares in the market and the index declined, however, the market index is currently in the positive zone.

In the past few days, the stock market index has recorded a decline of more than 10,000 points due to rising tensions between Pakistan and India.

According to analyst Muhammad Sohail, the market opened on a positive note today. According to him, there was no major incident in the tension between Pakistan and India when the market opened in the morning, which has promoted a positive trend in the market.

India’s stock market sees negative trend on Friday

On the other hand, the Indian stock market witnessed a negative trend on Friday. India’s benchmark indices, Nifty and BSE Sensex, witnessed a downward trend on Friday morning.

At the start of the market, the Nifty 50 fell by more than 200 points, while the Sensex recorded a decline of more than 600 points.

It should be remembered that since the attack in Pahalgam on April 22, the Indian stock market has been showing a mixed trend, sometimes rising and sometimes falling. However, the market saw a sharp decline on Friday morning, which is being attributed to the increasing tension between India and Pakistan overnight.

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After “Operation Sindoor,” conducted by India on the night of May 6 to 7 in Pakistan, as a retaliation for an attack in Pahalgam, in the Indian Kashmir region on April 22, the show of force intended by New Delhi is widely viewed by many military experts as a significant underperformance. Despite the bombing of nearly a dozen sites in Pakistan, with significant damage observed, India was forced to acknowledge the loss of at least three fighter jets during this operation. These major losses reveal the weaknesses of the Indian Air Force.

Source

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Pakistan has launched retaliatory action after Indian attacks: ISPR
Pakistan’s state TV and the army’s public relations department have claimed that Pakistan has launched a counter-offensive against the Indian attacks. According to the Pakistan Army’s Public Relations Department (ISPR), Pakistan has named the counter-offensive “Operation Banyan Marsus.”

These are the words of a Quranic verse which means ‘a leaded wall’.

ISPR and Pakistan’s state TV say that Pakistan has targeted various military targets in India, including Pathankot and Udhampur, in retaliation.

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G7 foreign ministers urge India and Pakistan to immediately de-escalate tensions
The foreign ministers of the G7 countries have urged India and Pakistan to immediately reduce tensions.

The statement issued by the G7 countries said that “the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the High Representative of the European Union strongly condemn the militant attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22 and appeal to both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint.”

The statement added that further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability. We are deeply concerned about the safety of civilians on both sides. “We call for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue for a peaceful outcome. We continue to closely monitor events and express our support for a swift and lasting diplomatic solution,” the statement added.

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Pakistan’s airspace closed from 3:15 am to 12 noon
The Pakistan Airports Authority says that in view of the tense situation between Pakistan and India, Pakistan’s airspace has been closed to all types of flights from 3:15 am to 12:00 noon on May 10.

A statement issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority said that Pakistan’s airspace will remain closed to all types of flights from 3:15 am to 12:00 noon on May 10

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Air defense system has foiled most of India’s missile attacks, our assets are safe: Pakistani Army
Pakistani military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, while holding a press conference late at night, claimed that “our air defense system has foiled most of the missile attacks by India on three PAF air bases.”

The spokesperson said that according to initial information, even those that managed to escape the missile defense system did not cause any damage and Pakistan Air Force assets are safe.

The army spokesman said that “Pakistan’s forces are fully prepared and India’s increasing aggression and cowardly attacks are being thwarted.”

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He said, “We will go to any extent to protect our people. These Indian tactics cannot dampen the morale of the brave and courageous people of Pakistan.”

The Pakistani military spokesman said, “I want to tell India that we will soon compound your frustration further.”

The spokesperson said that with its cunning, India is pushing the entire region towards war.

The DG ISPR said that after attacking Afghanistan, India also attacked its own territory and the Pakistan Air Force has ‘electronic signatures’ of where these were fired from

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What do we know about the Fatah missile that launched Operation ‘Banyan Marsus’?
The Pakistani government says it has launched a counter-offensive against India early Saturday morning, and the operation has been named ‘Banyan Marsus’.

It may be recalled that explosions were heard in several areas including Rawalpindi in Punjab province last night. Shortly after this, the head of the Pakistani army’s public relations department, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, claimed that during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, India tried to target Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Air Base, Shorkot Air Base and Mureed Air Base with air-to-surface missiles, but according to him, all air force assets remained safe as a result of these attacks.

Shortly after this information was given, they announced the launch of ‘Retaliatory Operation Banyan Marsus’.

According to the ISPR, the operation was initiated by Pakistan launching the ‘Fath-1’ missile. The ISPR has also shared videos of the launch of Fateh-1.

According to the Pakistani army, “This operation has been carried out in the name of those Pakistani children who were killed as a result of India’s aggression against Pakistan.” It was further stated that “Pakistan has not forgotten and will never forget the martyrdom of these innocent children.”

What does ‘Banyan Marsus’ mean?
The words ‘Bunyan Marsus’ are taken from a verse in the Muslim holy book, the Quran, which means ‘a leaded wall’.

The fourth verse of Surah As-Saff of the Quran states:

Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause, as if they were a firm structure (Quran).

Which translates as ‘Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a wall of lead.’

According to the ISPR, the ‘Banyan Marsus’ are people who struggle in the path of Allah, i.e., like a strong, iron wall, and these individuals are considered among the most beloved servants of Allah.

The Pakistani army says that it is in this spirit that the operation has been named ‘Banyan Marsus’.

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What is the ‘Fath One’ missile?
According to the ISPR, this operation was initiated by Pakistan by launching the ‘Fatah One’ missile, and the army’s public relations department has also shared videos of the launch of Fateh One with the media.

These videos are also viral on social media and currently the trend called ‘Fath One’ is among the top trends in Pakistan.

The Fateh-1 missile is Pakistan’s modern, short-range weapon with a range of up to 140 kilometers. The indigenously developed Fateh-1 rocket system was tested on August 24, 2021.

Fateh-1 is a Pakistani-made surface-to-surface guided missile that is part of the Fateh series. The series also includes another missile, Fateh-2. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), this missile has a range of up to 400 kilometers and is capable of accurately hitting its target.

Fateh One is also capable of carrying a 300-500 kg warhead, depending on the target.

According to Dr Mansoor Ahmed, a lecturer in strategic and defence studies at the National University of Canberra, the Fateh missiles are a modern addition to Pakistan’s long-range rocket artillery system. They are used to strike with high precision against a variety of critical targets, including airbases, command and control centres, ammunition depots, logistical supply lines, and enemy forward supply tanks or artillery.

According to Dr. Mansoor, the Fateh series is Pakistan’s very effective missile system, which is used in conjunction with the Air Force to target the enemy’s offensive capabilities and neutralize their high-value defensive targets.

He said that the most important feature of this missile is that you can fire these missiles from stand-off range, outside the limits of the enemy’s defense system. These missiles have the ability to ‘shoot and scoot’, meaning they can change their location immediately after firing, which is why they are safe from enemy retaliatory fire, because their location changes instantly, making it very difficult to target or stop them.

“Pakistan has used the Fateh series of ground-launched artillery rocket systems, which are similar to the American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and are being used with great precision in Ukraine.”

According to Dr. Mansoor, this missile system has been developed locally, which means that Pakistan will not face any supply problems in the production of more missiles in this series.

He further said that the Fateh series includes one, two, three and four missiles, of which Fateh one and two have a range of 400 kilometers and both of them are in operational use by the army. He said that Pakistan is also working on Fateh four, which has a range of 700 kilometers.

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In this regard, Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based defense expert, says that the specialty of the Fateh series missiles is: “They hit the target with extreme accuracy and they are supersonic.”

Their most important feature is ‘maneuverable in terminal stage’, which means that no ballistic missile system can hit it.

He gives an example from cricket, saying that just as it is said that Waqar Younis had a late swing, if a bowler is bowling at 160 kmph only at raw pace, then it is of no use. But if a bowler is bowling at a speed of 140, but that is a late swing and the bowler suddenly changes his direction before reaching the target, then just as a gap appears between the bat and the batsman, similarly a gap appears between the defense system and all the missiles launched by the enemy become confused and are unable to hit the incoming rockets.

According to Syed Muhammad Ali, like Israel, India’s defense system also has three layers: the outer layer is the S-400, which has a range of three to four hundred kilometers, then India has the Buraq 8 surface-to-air missile system provided by Israel, and the third is India’s own ‘Akash’ system, which is the third layer of this defense system.

They claim that ‘the accuracy, speed and maneuverability of this missile in the terminal stage are capable of defeating all Indian defense systems and it is the first and smallest missile in Pakistan’s strategy to deter the enemy through full-spectrum deterrence or defensive capability.’

According to Syed Muhammad Ali, the advantage of targeting an air base with this missile is that it destroys the runway with a shower of hundreds of thousands of bomblets or small explosive shells and creates such craters that all the planes parked there cannot fly as long as the runway is destroyed.

ISPR,Image sourceISPR
Many social media users in Pakistan are praising the naming of the counter-operation against India as ‘Bunyan Marsu’, calling it the best name. A user named Faraz wrote on X, ‘I am not a believer in naming any missile or military operation after any language other than Urdu or in any other context other than Pakistan, but as we are facing a ruling neighbor at the moment, ‘Bunyan Marsu’ is the best name in every way.’

What is India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’?
It may be recalled that earlier, India had announced the launch of Operation Sindoor in Pakistan and its administered Kashmir on Tuesday night. The Indian Army said that it had named the attacks against Pakistan as ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the name was considered very meaningful in the Indian media.

In this regard, a picture was also posted from the official accounts of the Indian Army and Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar, in which ‘Operation Sindoor’ is written in English letters. In it, instead of one of the English words ‘O’, there is a round bowl filled with vermilion, while the vermilion in the second ‘O’ is spilling out of the bowl.

It should be noted that according to Hindu belief in India, vermilion is evidence of a woman’s marriage, while upon the death of her husband, vermilion is removed from the forehead and this is called the removal of mang-soni or the removal of mang.

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Pakistan missed opportunities to reduce tensions’: Former Indian Foreign Secretary
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan has accused Pakistan of escalating the conflict with missile and drone attacks.

Speaking to BBC Radio, Harsh Vardhan said that Pakistan increased tensions and now the responsibility to step back also lies with it.

“Pakistan has missed the opportunity to return to a peaceful situation,” he said.

The former foreign secretary also said that any escalation by Pakistan would be met with a “strong response” from India

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54 minutes agoOur brave armed forces gave a befitting reply to repeated Indian aggression: Shahbaz Sharif

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Pakistani forces have given a strong and coordinated response to Indian aggression.

Shahbaz Sharif expressed these views during a telephonic conversation with President Asif Ali Zardari, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and leaders of other parties.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took political leaders into confidence regarding the current situation and Pakistan’s retaliatory actions against India.

The Prime Minister said that India launched missile and drone attacks on Pakistan, but despite these aggressive actions, Pakistan showed extreme restraint.

Shahbaz Sharif said that our brave armed forces gave a befitting reply to repeated Indian aggression.

He said, “Our counter-operation ‘Banyan Marsus’ specifically targeted those Indian military installations from where the attacks on Pakistan had begun.”

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11 killed, 56 injured in Indian shelling in Pakistan-administered Kashmir: Information Minister Pir Mazhar Shah,Naseer Chaudhry, journalist, Muzaffarabad
Information Minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pir Mazhar Shah, has said that 11 people were killed and 56 injured last night due to Indian shelling along the Line of Control.

According to the Minister of Information, 235 houses were destroyed by shelling, of which 206 were partially destroyed and the rest were completely destroyed.

He further said that the government is facilitating those who are voluntarily relocating from the area.

Pir Mazhar Shah also said that “groups of two hundred volunteers have been prepared who will help in emergency situations.”

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China and US intensify efforts to reduce tensions after missile attacks on Pakistani and Indian air bases
Referring to missile attacks on military installations in India, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistani forces had “given a strong and coordinated response to Indian aggression.” While the Indian military claimed that Pakistan had “used high-velocity missiles” that caused limited damage. Meanwhile, China and the United States have offered to mediate to reduce tensions between Pakistan and India.

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citizens of Islamabad and Rawalpindi tell the BBC?
Fear is spreading among people in the country’s capital, Islamabad, and its twin city, Rawalpindi, following the attack on the Pakistani Air Force’s Nur Khan Air Base.

Eyewitnesses saw explosions, fire and smoke rising late at night. Pakistan blamed India and claimed retaliation.

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Pakistan and India have agreed to an immediate ceasefire: Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also said in a tweet that Pakistan and India have agreed to an immediate ceasefire.

He said in a tweet that “Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region and has not compromised on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

It should be noted that some time ago, the US President made a statement on the social media platform X regarding the ceasefire between the two countries.

There has been no comment from India so far