India Orders Civil Defense Drills as Potential Clash With Pakistan Looms

India’s government has ordered officials to carry out civil defense drills in much of the country on Wednesday as it prepares for a potential military conflict with Pakistan, its neighbor and archrival.

Tensions between the nuclear-armed countries, which have fought several wars, have escalated since April 22, when gunmen killed 26 people in the India-controlled part of the Kashmir region, which both countries claim. India accuses Pakistan of being involved in the terror attack, which Pakistan denies.

India has been making a case for carrying out military strikes on what it calls havens for terrorists in Pakistan. Pakistan has promised to respond in kind to any military action by India.