MOSCOW, May 7. /TASS/. Islamabad reserves the right to retaliate in self-defense at any time, place and manner, the Pakistani Embassy in Moscow told TASS in response to a request for comment on India's Operation Sindoor.
"In accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan reserves the right to retaliate in self-defense at a time, place, and manner of its choosing to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives and the blatant violation of its sovereignty. The Pakistani armed forces have been duly authorized to take appropriate action in this regard," the embassy said.
The Pakistani side slammed India's attacks as "unprovoked and unjustified," noting that they were deliberately targeted at civilian areas "on the false pretext of the presence of imaginary terrorist camps." "Pakistan categorically rejects India's allegations claiming the presence of terrorist camps on its territory," the country’s embassy pointed out.
Late on May 6, Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor, hitting nine targets in Pakistan and the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir where terrorists were based. During the operation, 17 terrorists were eliminated and 60 were injured, the News18 TV channel reported. According to the Pakistani military, 26 civilians were killed and 46 others were injured. Five Indian Air Force fighter jets were shot down in the attack. Pakistan closed its airspace for 48 hours and retaliated. As a result, 10 people were killed and 48 injured on the Line of Control in India's union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Reuters reported.