Amidst global calls for restraint and de-escalation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif early on Wednesday termed the Indian on terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab province as an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".

Army spokesman Lt Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry in a media interaction said at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the missile strikes on cities in Punjab and PoK. "The six locations that India attacked last night... Pakistan lost 26 people and 46 were injured," he said.

Ties between India and Pakistan plummeted following the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April that killed 25 Indians and one Nepalese citizen, most of them tourists. India has since confirmed that the attack was masterminded by Sheikh Sajjad Gul, a 50-year-old Kashmiri and head of The Resistance Front, a proxy outfit of the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has its headquarters in Pakistan.

India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan — including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operational land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties — following the terror attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the nation's top defence brass that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the attack.

In the early hours of today, 7 May, Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor, involving missile and air strikes targeted at terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed, the Indian Army said.

Chaudhry said 13 people were killed in Bahwalpur’s Ahmedpur East, where Subhan mosque was attacked. Two girls, seven women and four men were killed, while another 37 were injured, including 28 men and nine women.

He said in the attack in Muzaffarabad, the Bilal mosque was targeted and three persons killed and two injured, including a girl and a boy. In the strike at Kotli where Abbat mosque was targeted, a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old boy were killed, while two persons were injured. He said in the Muridke attack where Umalkura mosque was targeted, three men were killed and one was injured.

Simultaneously, terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad's chief Maulana Masood Azhar confirmed that the missile strike on the group’s headquarters in Bahawalpur claimed the lives of 14 people, including 10 of his relatives and four close associates

There was no loss of life in attacks at locations in Sialkot and Shakargarh area.

The spokesperson also said five civilians were killed in across-the-LoC firing by India. "At no point were Indian aircraft allowed to enter Pakistan and no Pakistani aircraft entered India. All PAF assets are safe,” he claimed.

In another development, he said India also targeted the Neelum Jhelum project by attacking a water storage dam, which he termed a dangerous sign.

He also said a number of local flights and 57 international flights were operating in the Pakistan airspace at the time of the attack, and could have been hit by the Indian strikes.

Prime Minister Sharif said India carried out attacks at five places in Pakistan. "Pakistan has every right to give a befitting reply to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” Sharif said in a statement, adding that his armed forces “know very well how to deal with the enemy".

"We will never let the enemy succeed in its nefarious objectives,” he added. The PM summoned a meeting of the National Security Council at 10.00 am. Pakistan has closed its airspace for all air traffic for 48 hours.

Deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar termed the Indian strikes as a "flagrant violation" of Pakistan’s sovereignty, the UN Charter & international law. "It has jeopardised regional peace,” he said in a statement on X.

In a statement, the Foreign Office termed the strikes by the "Indian Air Force, while remaining within Indian airspace," as an "unprovoked and blatant act of war".

“We will respond with full force. We will pay off this debt in the manner such debt is paid,” defence minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News.

He said Pakistan's response would be both kinetic and diplomatic, and it would not take long to retaliate to the Indian attack.

"All places are open for the international media to verify if they targeted terrorists’ camps or civilians,” he said. "All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan,” the army spokesman said.

“Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered,” he added.

This "temporary happiness" that India has achieved with this attack will be replaced with enduring grief, he said.

With PTI inputs