For the eighth straight night, the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) on Thursday, initiating unprovoked firing across several sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Army responds as civilians along border brace for further escalation; hotline warnings issued after Pahalgam attack fallout
For the eighth straight night, the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) on Thursday, initiating unprovoked firing across several sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
Small arms fire was directed from Pakistani posts opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Naushera, and Akhnoor, prompting the Indian Army to respond along the 740-kilometre-long de facto border. As reported by The Hindu, this escalation comes in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran valley, Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians and has sharply raised tensions between the two countries.
Since the night of April 24, just hours after India announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistani forces have carried out repeated unprovoked firings at multiple points along the LoC. On Tuesday, Islamabad expanded the firing to the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district.
That same day, the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of both nations spoke via hotline, where the Indian side warned Pakistan against continuing the ceasefire violations. People familiar with the DGMO talks told PTI that the warning had been clearly relayed.
Civilians living along the LoC and International Border have meanwhile begun cleaning out their individual bunkers to make them habitable in case of shelling. While crop harvesting has been completed in the R S Pura and Arnia sectors, work is still ongoing in the Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch districts, per PTI.
Following the Pahalgam attack, India announced a raft of punitive actions, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down the only operational land border crossing at Attari, and downgrading diplomatic ties over alleged cross-border links to the assault.
In response, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airliners and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries. Islamabad rejected India라이브 바카라 move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that any attempt to stop the flow of water would be viewed as an “act of war.”
India and Pakistan share a 3,323 km-long border divided into three segments: the approximately 2,400 km International Border (IB) stretching from Gujarat to the Chenab River in Akhnoor, Jammu; the 740 km LoC running through Jammu and Leh; and the 110 km Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) separating the Siachen region from NJ 9842 up to Indira Col.
According to Hindustan Times, the ceasefire agreement initially signed in 2003 was reaffirmed by both nations on February 25, 2021, and had been largely respected until the recent surge in cross-border fire.