At least 10 civilians have died and 32 have been wounded in Indian-administered Kashmir, after Pakistan launched heavy artillery shelling along the de-facto border between the countries in response to Delhi's air strikes.

The firing was particularly intense in Poonch and Mehandar regions, locals have told the BBC. Several buildings, including houses and shops, have been badly damaged.

"We heard loud explosions for hours on Wednesday night," Zamrood Mughal, a local journalist from Poonch, told the BBC over phone.

“People couldn't sleep the entire night. They abandoned their homes and ran to safer locations," Mughal says.

"Our local hospital is full of injured people."

Since their creation in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars - most centred on Kashmir.

The first erupted just months after partition, ending in a 1949 UN-brokered ceasefire that split the region but left both nations claiming it in full.

In 1965, they fought again when Pakistani forces crossed into Indian-administered Kashmir, leading to fierce ground and air battles.

In 1971, war flared over East Pakistan, where India supported independence forces, ultimately leading to the creation of Bangladesh.

The 1999 Kargil conflict saw Pakistani troops infiltrate Indian-administered Kashmir; it was the first clash between the nuclear-armed rivals, sparking global alarm.

In more recent years, tensions surged after militant attacks: India launched “surgical strikes” in 2016 after the Uri attack and conducted airstrikes near Balakot in 2019 following the Pulwama bombing.

Pakistan responded with its own air incursions, marking one of the most dangerous escalations since Kargil.

(Source: BBC)