A fresh wave of violence has erupted between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan after India launched deadly strikes into Pakistani territory on Wednesday, sharply escalating an already tense standoff.
The air and missile strikes, which New Delhi claims were in response to a deadly attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir, killed at least eight people, according to Pakistani officials. Islamabad has vowed retaliation, marking one of the most serious escalations between the two rivals in recent years.
The latest hostilities stem from an April 22 attack in Kashmir, where 26 civilians were killed in what India described as the deadliest incident in the region in years. Indian authorities accused Pakistan of backing the attackers—a charge Islamabad has firmly denied.
In the aftermath, cross-border gunfire resumed across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir. Both countries have expelled diplomats and closed key border points as military posturing intensifies. Indian and Pakistani soldiers have exchanged fire in the contested Himalayan region, which remains one of the most heavily militarized areas in the world.
The dispute over Kashmir dates back to 1947, when British colonial rule ended and the subcontinent was divided into India and Pakistan. The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir became the flashpoint for their first war after its monarch chose to accede to India, prompting Pakistani-backed incursions.
Since then, the two nations have fought multiple wars and skirmishes over the territory. Major flare-ups occurred in 1965, 1971, 1999, and 2019, often with high civilian and military casualties.
In 2019, a suicide bombing in Pulwama killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, triggering Indian airstrikes on Pakistani territory and leading to the brief capture of an Indian pilot. Though cooler heads prevailed then, the current escalation shows no sign of immediate de-escalation.
Pakistan’s government condemned the latest strikes and said it had begun a “measured response.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused India of reckless aggression and warned of “serious consequences.” Indian officials, meanwhile, defended the strikes as a necessary response to what they described as “state-sponsored terrorism.”
With both countries possessing nuclear weapons, the international community has expressed growing concern. The United Nations has called for restraint, and diplomatic efforts are underway to prevent further escalation.
As tensions mount once again in South Asia, fears are growing that a misstep by either side could plunge the region into another full-blown conflict.
