Cross-border shelling and airstrikes between India and Pakistan along their disputed Kashmir frontier have intensified fears of wider conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India's strikes on Wednesday followed a deadly attack on Indian civilians in Kashmir that New Delhi attributes to militants operating from Pakistan.
India initiated airstrikes on Wednesday, stating the action was in response to a terrorist attack two weeks prior. Pakistan’s military claims the Indian strikes killed at least 31 people in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and vowed retaliation. India countered that Pakistan began shelling across the de facto border the same day, resulting in at least 16 Indian civilian deaths, including women and children. Exchange of fire continued into Thursday.
The escalation followed an April 22 terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. India asserts it has credible evidence linking the militants to Pakistan. Pakistan has denied involvement and demanded India provide proof for its allegations.
As hostilities spilled into Thursday with continued cross-border shelling, international attention intensified, with outlets like the BBC covering the escalating situation. Pakistan's military spokesperson claimed Indian drones continued to attempt airspace incursions, straining defensive resources along the border. Pakistan claims it shot down five Indian fighter jets and 25 Indian drones, reports India has not confirmed.
In the Pakistani city of Lahore, U.S. Consulate personnel were advised to shelter in place Thursday due to reports of drone activity. U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the situation, stating he wanted the two countries to "work it out" and urging them to stop the tit-for-tat actions. Trump's focus on securing trade deals has coincided with increased instability in the region, leaving some to note a void in diplomatic engagement.
Experts observing the long-standing tension over Kashmir, a region both countries claim fully and control partly, note that managing rhetoric and avoiding inflammatory keywords in official statements remains a hurdle for de-escalation. Moeed Yusuf, who previously served as Pakistan's national security adviser, described real anger in Pakistan regarding India's use of military force without publicly providing evidence linking Pakistan to the April attack.
Lt. Gen. Deependra Singh Hooda, a former head of the Indian Army’s Northern Command, suggested that "the ball is in Pakistan’s court." He characterized the Indian perspective as being tired of persistent infiltration and the infrastructure supporting it, questioning the need to provide explicit proof when the pattern is established. The risk of an all-out war remains, fueling Growing fears of miscalculation leading to wider conflict.
The Indian Foreign Minister stated New Delhi has no intention of escalating further, but warned that any retaliatory strikes from Pakistan would be met with a "very, very firm" response.
Lt. Gen. Hooda affirmed India's position on raising stakes. "If Pakistan wants to escalate it further, whatever the justification, we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.
