Conflict escalates: 2 billion people die when India-Pakistan nuclear war breaks out
India and Pakistan are the two countries with the fastest growing nuclear arsenals in the world. Indian and Pakistani fighter jets are engaged in aerial combat and on the ground, with constant artillery and mortar fire from both sides, dangerous signs of a conflict that could escalate into nuclear war.
Tensions escalated to an unprecedented level, as Pakistan responded with airstrikes and artillery shelling into Indian territory. It should be noted that the Mirage 2000 fighters used by India have been upgraded to carry nuclear weapons.
For the first time since 1971, the two nuclear powers India and Pakistan used air power to attack each other. This is also the first time in history that two nuclear-armed countries openly attacked each other.
Wreckage of Indian plane suspected to have been shot down by Pakistan.
Experts estimate that India has 140 nuclear weapons and Pakistan has 150. Pakistan's nuclear weapons are only at the tactical level because it does not have long-range ballistic missiles like India.
Pakistan’s military philosophy suggests using nuclear weapons to deter India from launching conventional attacks and invading Pakistani territory, according to National Interest. This is a dangerous sign because major powers like Russia and the United States usually only use nuclear weapons if they are attacked first by their opponents.
The Trump administration has voiced concerns. “We are very concerned about the issue of tactical nuclear weapons, designed for use in small and medium-scale conflicts. This will lead to a much larger nuclear disaster for the entire region.”
