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Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged gunfire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the Press Trust of India reported on April 25, citing an army source.
The LoC is a military control line between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but serves as the de facto border. It was established as part of the Simla Agreement at the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
“At some places along the Line of Control, Pakistan initiated small arms firing,” the source said. “The firings were met with effective retaliation,” the source told the news agency, noting that there were no reports of casualties.
The exchange of fire comes amid rising tensions between the two countries following the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, which left 26 Indian civilians dead.
Pakistan denied any involvement in the terrorist attack, which was claimed by The Resistance Front. Still, India acted harshly, expelling Pakistani diplomats, closing border crossings, and even halting a vital water-sharing agreement. The last move, never before taken even during full-scale wars.
More escalation is to be expected. Video footage taken close to the Pakistani-controlled side of the LoC showed large military reinforcements pouring in.
The two nuclear powers clashed on several occasions in recent years. In 2020, they came very close to an all out war when India launched a series of strikes against targets in Pakistani territories following a car bomb attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan responded by shooting down a helicopter and a fighter jet.
The new crisis appears to be extremely serious. So far, both sides have refrained from taking any steps to de-escalate tensions. Thus, the threat of war is very real.
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