India closes 24 airports due to escalation with Pakistan
Indian airlines have suspended flights from more than two dozen airports in the north and west as tensions with Pakistan escalate, with the two countries continuing to exchange fire, including drone strikes, the Associated Press reported .
According to India's Civil Aviation Ministry, 24 airports have been temporarily closed, including Amritsar airport, near Lahore in northern Punjab, and Srinagar in Kashmir, which borders Pakistan.
In warnings to passengers, India's key domestic airlines said their flights would be suspended until Saturday.
Indigo, the country's largest domestic carrier, cancelled 165 flights on Wednesday. Air India and Air India Express had a similar number of flights cancelled.
Instead, according to the Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan has resumed flights across the country after suspending operations at four airports.
On the night of May 9, India and Pakistan continued to exchange strikes with various types of weapons. Drone attacks were reported from both sides.
- The aggravation of relations between Pakistan and India occurred after an attack on a group of tourists in Kashmir, which resulted in the death of 26 people.
- India blamed Pakistan for the attack and took a number of measures . In particular, it stopped issuing new visas to Pakistani citizens and canceled those previously issued.
- Pakistan's defense minister has denied involvement in the April 22 attack in Kashmir and called for an international investigation into the attack . However, he believes that an Indian military invasion of Pakistan is inevitable.
- India attacked Pakistan on the evening of May 6 as part of Operation Sindoor. Pakistan responded with a missile strike.
- On May 7, the Prime Minister of Pakistan announced that the country's air force had destroyed Indian aircraft.
