PAKISTAN says it has launched a military operation against India with missile and drone strikes on 25 targets.

It is the latest esclation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals after a week of clashes on the border and in Kashmir.

Pakistan’s military said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to strike more than 25 military sites.

They claimed to have attacked airbasess and weapons depots in the Indian states of Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan, as well as locations in India-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan dubbed the attack “Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos”.

India military officials called Pakistani’s strikes a “blatant escalation” and said they had come under attack by drones and “other munitions”.

The US has already called on both sides to step back from the edge of a potentially devastating war.

Trump’s secretary of state Marco Rubio said Washington would help starting “constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts” .

Islamabad blamed New Dehli for “continuous provocation” – with the attack coming after Indian missiles hit targets in late on Tuesday.

India claimed it had been hitting back over the deaths of 26 tourists in a terror attack in Kashmir.

New Dehli blames Islamabad for the attack – and has repeatedly accused Pakistan of being a haven for terrorists.

In response, India launched “Operation Sindoor” on Wednesday, blitzing nine targets across Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

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