Gunshots reported at India-Pakistan border
The Indian Army reported on Saturday firing by Pakistani forces from multiple posts from across the Line of Control, the de facto boundary between the two countries, according to a defense official cited in the media.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have surged after a fatal attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir region resulted in the deaths of 26 people earlier this week. “On the night of April 25-26, unprovoked small firing was carried out by multiple Pakistan Army posts all across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir,” the Srinagar-based defense official said.
No casualties have been reported, he added. The Resistance Front, a militant group believed to be linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday, prompting New Delhi to accuse Islamabad of supporting cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has denied any role in the attack, instead accusing New Delhi of oppressing the region and its majority-Muslim population.
India and Pakistan have implemented extensive measures against each other in the wake of the incident, exacerbating already strained diplomatic and trade relations. Ties between the two nations had already been severely strained since 2019, when the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, revoked Article 370 of the constitution, which had previously provided a level of autonomy to the region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Immediately after the attack, New Delhi expelled Pakistani diplomats and closed its land border. Additionally, India suspended the significant Indus Waters Treaty, stating that the suspension would remain in place “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
In a reciprocal move on Thursday, Islamabad responded by suspending key bilateral agreements and cross-border routes. Pakistan also closed its airspace to all Indian-owned or operated airlines and declared Indian defense, naval, and air advisers in Islamabad as persona non grata, effectively expelling them from the country.
Visitors from both sides now have a short deadline to return to their respective countries, according to officials .
