Michael D. Carroll
Indian missiles strike mosques and clinic in Pakistan as panic grips residents
Missiles fired from India have slammed into multiple locations across Pakistan, damaging at least four mosques and a medical clinic, according to The Associated Press — as frightened residents fled for their lives.
One of the missiles struck a mosque in Muridke, a town near the eastern city of Lahore, causing significant damage to the structure and leaving the local community reeling.
In Bahawalpur, another missile hit a mosque situated next to a religious seminary. The building was once linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group banned by Pakistan in 2002. Officials insist the group has had no presence there since the ban.
Shaken residents described the terrifying moments after the strikes.
“I heard three or four loud explosions in a row,” said Muhammad Sabir, who lives near the damaged Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur. “I grabbed my family and we ran to the nearby fields and lay down,” he said.
Emergency services rushed to the scene as chaos unfolded on the ground. Police cordoned off the affected areas while ambulances worked to reach those injured or trapped.
The strikes mark a dangerous new escalation in already sky-high tensions between India and Pakistan, raising serious fears over the safety of civilians and religious sites in the region.