Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated significantly following a series of Indian air and drone strikes that have claimed the lives of at least 31 Pakistani civilians and left many others injured. Among the casualties, 16 people were martyred in the cities of Muridke and Bahawalpur alone.
Muridke
In Muridke, approximately 40 kilometers from Lahore, four Indian missiles struck the Jamia Masjid Ummul Qura and an adjacent house, killing three civilians: Abdul Malik (Jhang), Mohammad Alam (Samundri), and Midasar (Chunian).
Two others were injured and transported to local hospitals. Sources reported that an earlier evacuation warning likely prevented further loss of life. The mosque was completely destroyed, and local authorities later facilitated visits to the site for both local and international media.
Bahawalpur
In Bahawalpur, a missile strike targeting the Subhan Mosque in the Azam Chowk area—previously misidentified as Ahmedpur East—killed 13 civilians, including four men, seven women, and two three-year-old girls. The majority of the victims belonged to the same family, though official identification is pending. The military’s media wing, ISPR, is currently finalizing the list of deceased and injured.
High-level visits to the area were made by Corps Commander Lt Gen Aqeel, Divisional Commissioner Musarrat Jabeen, and Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, who visited the injured at Bahawal Victoria Hospital on the directives of the Punjab Chief Minister.
The missile strike also destroyed a seminary complex that included residences where most of the victims had lived. While the seminary had been evacuated the previous week due to fears of an Indian attack, residents and students were permitted to return a day before the strike.
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Witnesses reported hearing four powerful explosions that shook windows across Satellite Town and Baghdadul Jadeed Railway Station. Despite the chaos, locals rushed to the site chanting slogans in support of the armed forces.
Commercial activity in Bahawalpur continued on Wednesday, with grain markets, vegetable markets, and bazaars operating normally. However, all public and private educational institutions remained closed under government directives. Funeral prayers for the victims were held at Bahawalpur’s Dring Stadium under heavy security.
Narowal
In the Shakargarh sector of Narowal, Indian forces launched drone and mortar attacks on civilian areas late Tuesday night. A government dispensary suffered partial damage, and several munitions landed in surrounding fields without detonating. The Pakistan Army responded with a counteroffensive.
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Mortar shells and drone ammunition also hit Harra and Sial villages. A drone was later discovered stuck in a tree and safely defused by the bomb disposal squad after locals raised the alarm.
In response, Deputy Commissioner Syed Hassan Raza declared a district-wide emergency, placing all hospitals, BHUs, RHCs, and the DHQ Hospital on high alert with round-the-clock medical staff and sufficient medicine supplies.