India launched military strikes on targets in Pakistan, both countries said on Wednesday, with Pakistan claiming it had shot down at least two Indian Air Force planes in response, in a major escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Pakistan's military is claiming to have shot down five Indian fighter jets following airstrikes against the country that are being described as an "act of war."

Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a decades-long insurgency which has claimed thousands of lives. India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in full