Pak ministry says X account hacked after post seeking global help for more loans

Pakistan's Economic Affairs Ministry claimed that its X account was hacked on Friday after a post, appealing international partners for more loans amid rising tensions with India, went viral. The ministry told news agency Reuters that it "did not tweet" it and was "working to have the X (account) switched off".

The ministry's tweet also called on international partners to help de-escalate tensions with India weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly male tourists, were killed.

At the time of writing this story, the post was still active on the ministry's X account.

Tensions escalated after the Indian armed forces struck nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke. The strikes were done under Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.

On Thursday afternoon, the Defence Ministry said the Indian armed forces foiled Pakistan's attempts to target military installations in 15 cities in the northern and western parts of the country using missiles and drones.

At night, Pakistan escalated the tensed situation to a dangerous level by firing a swarm of drones and missiles into the border areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan. Several cities, including Jammu, Udhampur, Gurdaspur and Chandigarh saw attacks and blackouts.

The Defence Ministry said the Pakistani military attempted last night to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj. In its response, India launched kamikaze drones and destroyed a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore.

The Indian Army on Friday shared its first-ever visual of a Pakistani military post being destroyed in Indian strikes along the Line of Control (LoC) amid escalating tensions between both countries.

The Army said it had effectively repulsed overnight drone and missile attacks by Pakistani troops along the western border in Jammu and Kashmir amid fears of a full-blown military conflict between both countries.

It also said it gave a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by the Pakistani armed forces along the Line of Control (LoC) under its Operation Sindoor.

After India carried out missile strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and POK, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the original escalation was for the Pahalgam terror attack.

He also reiterated that only terror infrastructure was hit in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and that India's precision strikes under Operation Sindoor were "non-escalatory, precise, and measured" in nature. He also said that 16 civilians were killed in Poonch and other areas due to Pakistan's strikes.

Over 100 terrorists were killed under India's Operation Sindoor in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, sources earlier told India Today TV.