Amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, the latter now claims to have launched Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos. This response comes after India sought to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attacks, which killed 26 people, in Kashmir through Operation Sindoor. Calling India’s military action “continuous provocation,” Pakistan said in a statement, “Multiple targets in this operation are being engaged all across India.”
What does Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos mean?
Pakistan’s military also took to X to shared footage of missiles being fired from what seems to be a mobile launcher. ‘Bunyan Marsoos,’ an Arabic phrase, translates to “a structure made of lead.” The latest move by Pakistan in an escalated conflict between the two neighbouring countries derives its name from a verse from the holy book, the Quran, which reads, “Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.”
Why Pakistan claims to have launched new attacks on India
These strikes also followed Pakistan’s claims that three of its airbases were targetted by Indian missiles. Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a live broadcast on Saturday, “India, with its naked aggression, has attacked with missiles. Nur Khan base, Murid based and Shorkot base have been targetted.” According to a Reuters report, Pakistan also said that its air defences successfully intercepted most of these missiles.
Pakistan officials eventually claimed to have launched Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos against India, adding that Pathankot military air field in Punjab and Udhampur air force base in Kashmir were some of the targets.
A comprehensive briefing by the Indian central government has been scheduled for 10 am today, where attacks launched by Pakistan will be discussed. As a precautionary measure, authorities have placed all Indian cities on high alert.
G7 Foreign Ministers have since condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. In a joint statement, Canada, Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and the High Representative of the European Union urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint.
“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, strongly condemn the egregious terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan,” read the statement. Noting that further military escalation “poses a serious threat to regional stability,” the ministers added, “We are deeply concerned for the safety of civilians on both sides.” Through the official statement, they encouraged both nations to focus on immediate de-escalation and “engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome.”