India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire on Saturday after the worst battle in decades between two nuclear-weapon rivals. Hours later, reports were reported that both sides continued to act violently as India and Pakistan alleged breach of a truce.
The ceasefire agreement was announced by the U.S. president four days after President Trump first announced Drones and Bombardment. India objected to this claim.
Despite the announcement, there are signs that the ceasefire is not entirely effective. On both sides of the border, fire broke out across Kashmir (a disputed area between India and Pakistan).
Some of the heaviest battles took place early Saturday. After two nights of heavy drone activity, both sides seemed to have caused heavy damage in targeting each other's military bases.
The conflict began last month after 26 people were killed in a terrorist attack on the Kashmir Indian side. India accused Pakistan of participating in the attack. Pakistan denies this claim.
It's about the battle between India and Pakistan, the long-standing tensions, the Kashmir attacks and the attacks trying to resolve the conflict.
What happened to the conflict?
Pakistan said India targeted at least three air bases at air-to-ground missiles in the early hours of Saturday, including the air force device Nur Khan near the Islamabad capital.
Pakistan said it retaliated at several locations in India, including Udhampur and Pathankot Air Bases, both near the border with Pakistan, as well as a missile storage facility.
The vortex of false information and contradictory government statements makes it difficult to know the exact nature and location of the attack. Both sides are spreading their spins and blocking access to the media.
Earlier this week, Jamu and other cities were completely blacked out in the Indian control section of Kashmir, with residents reporting drones and missiles flying in houses where shelters live. The explosion also attacked towns on the side of Pakistan-controlled by Kashmir, damages some houses.
Who negotiates a ceasefire?
President Trump announced a ceasefire on his social media website on Saturday and said it had been mediated by the United States. Indian and Pakistani officials confirmed the ceasefire, although only Pakistan recognized the role of the United States.
Within a few hours, the ceasefire may not be held. There are reports that some areas of Jamu and Kashmir are part of the Indian-controlled area in the disputed areas. Residents of Barnala, in the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir region, also reported clashes along the border.
Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Misri accused Pakistan of breaking the truce and told reporters that “the understanding between the two countries has been repeatedly violated today.” He said India would deal with the violations and “strongly traded”.
A spokesman for the Pakistan Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying that the country remains committed to the “faithful execution” of the ceasefire, while India breaks the ceasefire. “Although India has committed violations in some areas, our forces are dealing with the situation with responsibility and restraint,” the spokesperson said.
Several countries with close ties to India and Pakistan, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have been working for several days in an attempt to mitigate the conflict. Fearing about a mature war, the United States, the EU and China have urged restrictions on Pakistan and India.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that he and Vice President JD Vance have been engaged to senior officials from both countries, including their prime ministers, over the past 48 hours. Rubio handled what a U.S. official called a “shuttle diplomacy” cell phone, with Indian and Pakistani officials walking back and forth.
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs contradicted Mr. Rubio, saying the ceasefire was conducted directly between India and Pakistan. India has long tried to keep bilateral issues about Kashmir as Pakistan controversial without attracting other countries.
What happened to the Kashmir attack?
On April 22, 26 people were shot dead in a terrorist attack in the Baisalan Valley in Kashmir. Another 17 people were injured.
Except for a local Kashmiris, government statistics of the deceased show that all are Hindu tourists. Statements from the injured and survivors show that many people were targeted after being asked about their religious beliefs. The attack took place near Pahalgam, a small town in southern Kashmir managed by India, and was the worst attack by Indian civilians in decades.
A group that claimed to be a resistance front appeared on social media and took responsibility. Indian officials said privately that the group was the agent of Pakistan's terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
What is the origin of the Kashmir dispute?
The roots of the Kashmir conflict trace back to the 1947 division of British India, which led to the creation of mainly Indian India and major Muslim Pakistan.
In October of that year, the Hindu monarch of the Kashmir Prince State joined India, but Pakistan claimed the territory and tried to take it through military force. An unbrokered agreement in 1949 established a ceasefire line, splitting Kashmir.
After the wars in 1965 and 1971, the ceasefire became the line of control, and the rest of India had two-thirds of Kashmir and Pakistan. But the dispute has not been resolved.
This is Decades of timeline Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
Does Pakistan support Kashmir's armed forces?
Experts say that part of the rebellion governed by Kashmir in India began in the 1980s and was driven mainly by local dissatisfaction, and Pakistan eventually supported some groups.
Among the Kashmir-centric insurgent groups that emerged, some supported the independence of the region, while others wanted the Indian side of Kashmir to be taken over by Pakistan.
In the 1990s, Pakistan provided training and other support to several militant organizations operating in Kashmir and Pakistan. Later, several senior Pakistani officials, including former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, admitted the involvement. The surge in rebellion in the 1990s forced the Exodus of ethnic minority Hindus in Kashmir, many of whom left New Delhi and other cities after facing targeted attacks.
The rebellion began around 2002, despite Pakistan’s ban on Lashkar-e-Muhammad, another major radical group, although Lashkar-e-Taiba continues to be based on aliases. The ceasefire was announced and the peace process with India began, a shift that some observers linked to U.S. pressure after the United States intervened in Afghanistan after 9/11.
The peace process collapsed after the attack in Mumbai, India in 2008, killing 166 people and attributed to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Since the last outbreak of the war in 1999, Kashmir remains one of the most militarized places in the world. India and Pakistan have been on the brink of war several times, including in 2019, where suicide bombings in Kashmir killed at least 40 Indian soldiers.
John Yuan and Salman Masood Contribution report.
