India-Pakistan latest: India says it hit Pakistan air defences while accusing Islamabad of drone strikes

Videos and pictures on social media appear to show blackouts in the city of Jammu, with air raid sirens sounding as Pakistani drones appear to target the airport.

The Independent has not verified the authenticity of the videos independently.

Two huge blasts and sirens were heard in Jammu city in Indian Kashmir on Thursday and there was a blackout across the city, a witness said.

Meanwhile, flights remained suspended at more than two dozen airports across northern and western regions in India, according to travel advisories by multiple airlines.

Amnesty International has condemned the “senseless loss” of civilian lives, stating that it wil achieve “neither security nor justice”.

“Amnesty International calls on the governments of India and Pakistan to uphold their obligations under both international human rights and humanitarian law,” the organisation said in a statement.

“They must take all necess measures to protect civilians and minimize any suffering and casualties in both countries. As forces from both countries are now engaged in open hostilities, Amnesty International insists that neither security nor justice will be achieved with the senseless loss of more civilian lives.”

It added: We unequivocally condemn the deliberate targeting and unlawful killing of civilians by armed groups during the horrific attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22nd April and call for an independent, transparent and thorough investigation to bring the suspected perpetrators of the atrocity to account through fair trials, without recourse to the death penalty.”

Pakistan’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar has claimed it encountered 75 to 80 Indian fighter jets throughout yesterday’s attacks, five of which it shot down.

Later on Thursday, a milit spokesperson said that Pakistani defences have shot down 29 Indian drones.

Clutching their father’s hand, 12-year-old twins Zain and Zoya tried to escape Pakistan’s nighttime shelling in Poonch, a town caught in the crossfire after India launched a number of missiles across the border on Wednesday to avenge the 26 civilians killed last month in the Himalayan tourist haven of Pahalgam.

Zain and Zoya’s family was trying to escape the border town to a safer place after they heard a loud explosion close to their house. They had barely stepped outside when another explosion tore through the street. Their uncle, Adil Pathan, witnessed the children’s last moments as they got caught in the second blast.

“They came (to the world) together and they died together. One of them took their last breaths in my arms before I put them in my car and rushed my sister and brother-in-law to safety,” Pathan tells The Independent.

Pakistan’s attack in Poonch has left a trail of devastation, with homes shattered and families torn apart in the border town that never saw it coming, Shweta Sharma and Mohammad Dawood report.

US secret of state Marco Rubio has called on India and Pakistan to de-escalate following yesterday’s rapid rise in tensions, the Pakistani government has said.

Mr Rubio made the comments in a call with Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government said.

Flight operations at Karachi Airport will remain closed due to operational reasons, Pakistan’s aviation authority has announced.

The closure, which will remain in place until 12am on Friday, comes amid the threat of further air strikes by India.