Pakistan’s army said it shot down 28 out of 29 Israeli-made Harop drones that crossed into the country on Thursday.
New Delhi claimed it destroyed an air defence system in Lahore.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the drones “made attempts to attack military installations” and “targeted civilians”, killing one and injuring four, with four army personnel also wounded.
Among the cities targeted was Rawalpindi, where the military is headquartered. The city’s cricket stadium was one of the venues of the Pakistan Super League, which later announced its remaining eight matches would be moved to the United Arab Emirates.
Residents in Lahore reported hearing the sound of blasts, and aviation authorities briefly shut down operations at the main airport there and in the capital Islamabad.
Diplomats and world leaders have pressured both countries to step back from the brink.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with leaders in both countries Thursday and urged “immediate de-escalation”, his spokeswoman said.
US Vice President JD Vance later reiterated that call in a televised interview, but added that Washington was “not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business.”
Several countries have offered to mediate, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Thursday, days after visiting Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities insist they have the right to retaliate against India’s initial strikes.
