On 8 May Pakistan claimed it shot down twelve Indian drones overnight amid escalating tensions following Indian airstrikes which have killed 31 people across Pakistan. General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, describing India’s actions as a ‘blatant act of aggression’, said the drone incursions had targeted major cities including Rawalpindi, where Pakistan’s military has its headquarters. Flights have been suspended in major cities of both nations, and a state of emergency declared in Pakistan’s Sindh region. India has not responded to the drone accusations but claimed its earlier strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure connected with the deadly militant attack in Kashmir on 22 April, even though Pakistan has denied involvement in it. Pakistan's prime minister has vowed revenge, while pressure builds on its army chief to respond. Both sides have exchanged shellfire along the contested Kashmir border. Iran has offered to mediate, as global concern mounts over the risk of broader conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.