Pakistan's military says it has launched retaliatory strikes on sites in India, alarming world powers about further hostilities between the nuclear nations.

Conflict between India and Pakistan is not rare, with the two countries having periodically engaged in wars, clashes and skirmishes since gaining independence from British India in 1947.

The Pakistani military said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to target an Indian missile storage facility and airbases in Pathankot and Udhampur.