Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated following continued ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border. For the seventh consecutive night, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked small arms firing across multiple sectors, including Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army responded proportionately to the provocations.
In a concerning development, Pakistani forces also opened fire along the International Border on Wednesday night, further aggravating the situation. These incidents come in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians and has reignited long-standing hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
India and Pakistan’s Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) held a conversation on Tuesday to address the violations. Indian officials reportedly issued a stern warning to their Pakistani counterparts against further aggression, pointing to the fragility of the 2003 ceasefire agreement. Both sides had reaffirmed their commitment to the pact as recently as February 2021, in an effort to stabilize the volatile 740-kilometre-long LoC.
As diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis continue, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He reiterated U.S. support for India’s counter-terrorism measures while urging both countries to avoid further escalation.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level security meeting, asserting that the armed forces have "complete operational freedom" to determine the timing, targets, and methods of India’s response to cross-border terror.
India has already enacted a series of punitive actions against Pakistan since April 23, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari land border, downgrading diplomatic relations, and blocking Pakistani airliners and celebrities’ social media accounts.
In retaliation, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers and halted all trade with India, even via third countries. Islamabad also dismissed the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that any disruption in water flow would be viewed as an “act of war.”
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)