Pakistan today said that Indian missiles hit civilians, causing deaths, and vowed retaliation.  

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad was responding to the Indian attacks but did not provide details. 

An emergency was declared in Pakistan's populous province of Punjab, its chief minister said, and hospitals and emergency services were on high alert.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told broadcaster Geo that all sites targeted by India were civilian and not militant camps.

He said India fired missiles from its own airspace and India's claim of targeting "camps of terrorists is false".

He later told Reuters that Pakistan had brought down five Indian jets in retaliation for the late-night strikes by its neighbouring country.

Earlier, Pakistan said India targeted Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh and Muzaffarabad after midnight with missiles.

The strikes come as tensions have been escalating intensely between the two countries in the wake of a militant attack in occupied Kashmir's Pahalgam.