Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fireplace throughout the extremely militarised de facto border in Kashmir in a single day, the Indian army mentioned on Saturday, as tensions between the 2 nuclear-armed neighbours proceed to rise after a terror assault on vacationers.
In a press release, India’s military mentioned troopers from a number of Pakistani military posts opened fireplace “all throughout the Line of Management” in the course of the evening.
“Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms,” the military mentioned, claiming the firing was “unprovoked”. No casualties have been reported.
It marked the second consecutive evening of border skirmishes. On Friday, Indian officers mentioned Pakistani troopers had fired at an Indian submit within the Gurez sector.
There was no fast remark from Pakistan, and the incidents couldn’t be independently verified. Cross-border fireplace has up to now been an everyday prevalence in Kashmir, with either side usually blaming the opposite for triggering hostilities, although what’s referred to as the Line of Management has been comparatively quiet in recent times following a 2021 ceasefire settlement.
The spike in tensions follows a brutal terror assault on Tuesday by which unidentified gunmen opened fireplace close to the resort city of Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir, killing 26 individuals, most of them Indian vacationers. India has accused Pakistan of backing the assault – a cost Islamabad denies.
Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif mentioned on Saturday that the nation is “open to any impartial, clear and credible investigation” into the Pahalgam assault, addressing India’s accusations for the primary time.
A beforehand unknown group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance reportedly claimed accountability for the assault, though there stays uncertainty over the authenticity of that declare.
Fallout has been swift, as India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty – a longstanding water-sharing settlement – and closed the one operational land border crossing with Pakistan. It additionally revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals with impact from Sunday.
Pakistan responded by cancelling visas issued to Indians, closing its airspace to Indian-owned or operated airways, and suspending bilateral commerce. Nationals from each international locations started returning house by way of the Wagah border on Friday.
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Islamabad has warned that any try by India to dam or divert the Indus River waters could be handled as an “act of battle”, elevating fears of water insecurity at a time when components of Pakistan are already scuffling with drought and declining rainfall.
“Pakistan is totally ready to confront any Indian aggression,” Pakistan’s data minister Attaullah Tarar mentioned in a televised assertion on Friday.
In the meantime, Iran supplied to mediate between the 2 sides, with Iranian overseas minister Syed Abbas Araghchi saying: “Tehran stands prepared to make use of its good workplaces in Islamabad and Delhi to forge better understanding at this tough time.”
“India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbours of Iran, having fun with relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilisational ties,” Mr Araghchi wrote in a social media submit.
US president Donald Trump, talking aboard Air Pressure One on Friday, mentioned “there’s nice stress between Pakistan and India, however there at all times has been”, and declined to say whether or not he would personally have interaction with both facet.
“They’ll get it discovered by hook or by crook,” he mentioned.
US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard expressed solidarity with India, posting: “We’re with you and assist you as you seek out these chargeable for this heinous assault.”
Senior diplomats from Saudi Arabia and Iran have reportedly spoken to Pakistani officers in current days to debate the escalating scenario. India, in the meantime, has briefed envoys from G20 nations and Gulf international locations concerning the assault and the actions it has taken.
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since their independence in 1947. The area is split between the 2 international locations however claimed by each in full.
