India and Pakistan exchanged deadly artillery fire along their contested border on Wednesday. The violence followed India’s missile strikes on Pakistan, with both countries reporting dozens of civilian and military casualties. The clash marks the worst fighting between the nuclear-armed rivals in more than two decades and follows an earlier terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
India Hits Pakistan With Missile Strikes After Kashmir Attack
India said its military action was in response to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, where 26 Hindu tourists were killed by gunmen. New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-listed terrorist organisation, for the assault. In retaliation, India launched what it called “focused, measured and non-escalatory” strikes on alleged terrorist camps across the Line of Control (LoC). A senior Indian security source claimed, “Justice is served,” while confirming that nine camps had been destroyed.
Pakistan Accuses Modi of Political Motive, Vows Retaliation
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the strikes to “shore up” domestic popularity. He warned that Pakistan “won’t take long to settle the score”. Military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that Pakistan had downed five Indian jets and confirmed civilian casualties from Indian shelling. Pakistan also claimed a hydropower plant was targeted, damaging a dam structure. “Tampering with our rivers is an act of war,” Pakistan said, repeating past warnings.
Heavy Casualties on Both Sides as Global Leaders Call for Calm
At least 38 people were confirmed dead, including 26 civilians in Pakistan and 12 people in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to official reports. A mosque in Muzaffarabad was reportedly struck, killing a 70-year-old caretaker. “There were terrible sounds during the night, there was panic among everyone,” a local resident, Muhammad Salman, said. Another, Tariq Mir, added, “We are homeless now.” In Poonch, Indian authorities confirmed 12 deaths and 29 injuries, with residents describing overnight shelling. “I saw shelling raining down,” a man named Farooq told the Press Trust of India from a hospital bed.
India Blames Pakistan for Kashmir Insurgency
India has long accused Pakistan of backing militants in Kashmir, where a separatist insurgency has raged since 1989. Islamabad denies the accusations and instead called for an independent investigation into the April 22 attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the Indian missile strikes as a “heinous act of aggression” and warned that it “will not go unpunished”.
World Leaders Urge De-escalation as Tensions Soar
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman warned that “the world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan”. US President Donald Trump also said he hoped the violence “ends very quickly”. Other nations including China, Britain, France, Russia, Germany, and Turkey expressed concern. Flights over the region were cancelled or rerouted. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected in both New Delhi and Islamabad as part of diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
Bottom Line
As India and Pakistan continue to exchange fire across the LoC, the situation remains volatile. The latest outbreak of violence, deadlier than the 2019 crisis, has raised global fears of further escalation between two nuclear-armed nations. While both countries blame each other, civilians on both sides are suffering the consequences
