India carried out air strikes at terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot town of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, weeks after a suicide attack in the disputed Kashmir region, raising fears of a war between the nuclear-armed South Asian nations.
At least 42 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed in the attack claimed by Pakistan-based rebel group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed a strong response in the wake of the worst attack on soldiers in decades.
Pakistan downplayed Tuesday’s incident, saying Indian aircraft violated Pakistani airspace and that Indian jets released a payload hastily in a forest area after crossing the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The regional rivals have gone to war twice over Kashmir since independence in 1947 from Britain. Here is how their militaries stack up.
India Pakistan
Army 14,00,000 6,53,800
Military budget 3.05 lakh crores 1 lakh crore
Missiles 9 types, including the Agni-3 2 types, including Shaheen 2
Battle Tanks 4,426 2,182
Fighting Vehicles 3,147 2,604
Warheads 135 145
Air Force 814 425
Aircraft Carriers 1 0
Submarines 16 8
Destroyers 11 0
Frigates 14 10
Patrol, Coastal
Combatant Vessels 106 17
Combat Capable Aircraft 75 8
