India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate After Deadly Airstrike: War Fears Grow

 Tensions between India and Pakistan have reached a dangerous point, analysts warn, as Islamabad has vowed retaliation following New Delhi’s recent strikes — raising fears of a cycle of escalating attacks that could lead to full-scale war.

India’s operation on Wednesday marked its deepest incursion into Pakistani territory since the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, the largest conflict between the two nations to date.

“The situation is clearly serious and unstable,” said Fahd Humayun, assistant professor of political science at Tufts University. “A Pakistani response now appears inevitable.”

The strike came more than two weeks after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 people, mostly Indian civilians. India blamed Pakistan for the assault — a claim Islamabad has denied.

According to Pakistani authorities, eight people, including children, were killed in the Indian strike, which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif labeled “an act of war.” Pakistan also claimed it shot down five Indian fighter jets and a drone.

India has not confirmed these claims, and CNN has not independently verified them.

While India’s decision to strike was anticipated — with analysts saying it was only a matter of time — experts now fear the situation could spiral further.

“If hostilities escalate, even short of nuclear conflict, the consequences could be severe for both nations and the broader region,” warned Derek J. Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation.