Pakistan shot down 12 drones from India that violated its airspace, the military said on Thursday, a day after Indian strikes on multiple targets in the country fanned fears of a larger military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The escalating conflict between India and Pakistan, two neighbors who have been rivals for decades, erupted in the early hours of Wednesday morning when New Delhi launched missiles across the border.

The embassy's statement followed the Global Times post, which said that the Pakistan Air Force had downed Indian fighter jets in response to Indian missile strikes on Pakistan.