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

India sent Israeli Harop drones to multiple locations, including the two largest cities of Karachi and Lahore, and their debris is being collected, Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said.

"Indian drones continue to be sent into Pakistan airspace ... [India] will continue to pay dearly for this naked aggression," he said.

WATCH | India says it targeted militant camps, not civilians: 

Pakistan vows to retaliate after India missile strikes

Dozens are dead after India fired missiles into Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir early Wednesday, saying it targeted militant camps, not civilians. Pakistan is vowing to retaliate, as families flee and fears of a wider conflict grow.

India's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

India hit "terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday, two weeks after it accused the country of involvement in an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir in which 26 people — mostly Hindu tourists — were killed.

Islamabad had denied the accusation and vowed to retaliate to the missile strikes, also saying it shot down five Indian aircraft. The Indian embassy in Beijing termed reports of fighter jets being shot down as "misinformation."