Ceasefire brings rare calm to Ind-Pak border after days of deadly clashes
The violence was the worst since the 1999 conflict between the two nations and raised international fears of a full-scale war.
KATHMANDU: Following a surprise ceasefire agreement on Saturday, the border between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan remained calm, marking what the Indian Army described as the “first peaceful night in recent days.”
The ceasefire came after four days of intense hostilities, including missile strikes, drone attacks, and heavy artillery fire that left at least 60 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes.
The violence was the worst since the 1999 conflict between the two nations and raised international fears of a full-scale war.
Initial skepticism followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement of the ceasefire via social media, especially as both sides accused each other of violating the truce just hours later.
However, on Monday, the Indian Army reported no incidents of violence. “The night remained largely peaceful along the Kashmir and other international border areas,” said a military spokesperson. “It marked the first calm night in several days.”
In Poonch, a border town in Indian-administered Kashmir that had been one of the hardest-hit areas, the past two nights were reportedly free of gunfire or shelling.
At least 12 civilians were killed in the region during the clashes, and most of the estimated 60,000 residents were forced to flee.
On Sunday, some began returning cautiously, though many remain skeptical that the truce will hold.
Tensions escalated sharply after India launched missile strikes early Wednesday on what it claimed were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The attack followed a deadly assault on April 22 that killed 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir, targeting a group of tourists.
India accused Pakistan of supporting the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied, responding instead with heavy shelling. Pakistan also claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, though New Delhi has not commented on this claim.
Violence in the region has intensified since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government revoked the limited autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, bringing it under direct rule from New Delhi.
India and Pakistan have fought several wars over Kashmir since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, with both countries claiming the region in full.
