India fires several missiles at terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, India says
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00:00And we want to start with breaking news right now at this hour. ABC News learning that India
00:04has fired at least three missiles into Pakistan. Pakistan's army confirmed which regions were
00:09attacked, while India's army released a statement saying that Pakistan is firing back and violating
00:14a ceasefire agreement. ABC News foreign correspondent Tom Sufi Burge and ABC News
00:19State Department reporter Shannon Kingston are following this story for us. Gentlemen,
00:22good to see you and also our friend there. Tom, what are we learning about the attack
00:26at this hour? We are getting word of some casualties. Yeah, DeMarco, we're just getting
00:32a word from the Pakistani government who says that at least three people have been killed,
00:38at least 12 injured in these attacks by India. So coming across the border. So we're just getting
00:45these details as I speak. And of course, just to remind viewers, this is India's response,
00:51it says, to a terrorist attack in the province of the region of Kashmir. Remember, Kashmir is
00:57basically a region which is disputed between India and Pakistan. And it happened last month.
01:0426 people were killed in that terrorist attack. Now, Pakistan denies any involvement in that attack.
01:11But the Indian government accuses Pakistan of funding militant groups in Kashmir and effectively
01:19being responsible for that terrorist attack. And this is India's response, which we thought has
01:24been coming. To be honest, analysts have believed that the signs from the Indian government of Narendra
01:30Modi have been that India will strike militarily back at Pakistan. And that's what's happened. We now
01:37understand that Pakistan has responded from the air and the ground. And I think the main point just to
01:43ram home to people right now, DeMarco, is that these are two giant nuclear nations. Now, they've been at war in the
01:50past, particularly over Kashmir. But India and Pakistan have been, you know, coming out with pretty fiery rhetoric
01:58within the last few days since this terrorist attack in Indian administered Kashmir, which India blames on
02:06Pakistan. But Pakistan once again says it had no involvement at all. But this is a very, very dangerous situation.
02:13We have seen these two nations go to war in the past. But at the moment, this is developing right now.
02:18And there seems to be a tit for tat across the border between India and Pakistan. Once again, two giant
02:23nuclear armed nations. And gentlemen and lady, I should say, all right, Tom, thank you very much.
02:28Shannon, there have been longstanding tensions between India and Pakistan, specifically over the
02:32disputed region of Kashmir. What are the biggest concerns now that the countries are exchanging fire?
02:38Well, the concern right now here at the State Department is that this volley that we're seeing
02:43exchange right now, that this is just the beginning. Now, ever since that terror attack, the officials
02:49in this building, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, they've been working the phones, talking to
02:53officials in both countries, trying to get the Pakistani government to come out and denounce the
02:58terror attacks and trying to at least control the response from India. But in recent days, yes, it has been
03:05the expectation that there would be some kind of military action against Pakistan. So we do know
03:11that officials right now, they're still trying to get in contact, trying to get a read of the situation
03:17and also try to control what happens, these next steps. But of course, Secretary of State Marco Rubio
03:23recently became the interim national security adviser. So he is spread thin here as this conflict
03:31continues to develop. And yes, as Tom stressed, these are two nuclear powers. So it is very difficult
03:39to overstate just how chaotic, catastrophic, a direct head to head war between the two countries could become.
03:47And Tom, if you could, again, elaborate on why this is such a tense situation here.
03:52Well, I mean, we know that the two nations have gone to war over Kashmir in the past. I mean, I think,
04:01you know, there is a history of alleged links between militant groups, Islamist militant groups
04:09operating in Kashmir, and the Pakistani security services. Now, the Pakistani government denies that.
04:16But what people should also realise is, you know, you have a Hindu nationalist government
04:22in power, the BJP party, that is Narendra Modi's party. I mean, he's been in power for many years.
04:29But, you know, the Hindu nationalist movement in India has become more and more prominent. I mean,
04:33gone are the days of the Congress party, Mahatma Gandhi's legacy. You know, India is ruled nowadays
04:41by a more nationalist, more far right type of government. And, you know, the BJP government
04:49of Narendra Modi are more hardline. And I think, you know, what also people should realise is that
04:55the Pakistani military is very, very, you know, prominent in terms of the governance of that
05:01country and has been over the decades. So, you know, these are two, you know, fairly hardline
05:05governments that have been at war in the past, that are going into a tit for tat situation
05:11at the moment. And there's no, you know, no clear indication, I think, at this early stage of
05:15where this will head. And obviously, the stakes are incredibly, incredibly high.
05:20All right. A developing story at this hour. Tom and Shannon, thank you. We appreciate it.
05:24And good to see you guys.