Escalating Kashmir Conflict: India and Pakistan Exchange Heavy Artillery Fire After Airstrikes
Tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have reached alarming levels following days of cross-border military exchanges, with dozens of civilian casualties reported and international concerns mounting over potential wider conflict.
The most serious military confrontation between India and Pakistan in years has left at least 35 civilians dead across the disputed Kashmir region, as both nations have exchanged airstrikes, artillery fire, and accusations of aggression. The escalation began after a terrorist attack at a popular tourist site in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, triggering Indian airstrikes and Pakistani retaliation.
Key Military Developments in the Kashmir Crisis
The situation escalated dramatically on Wednesday when India conducted what it called "Operation Sindoor," launching airstrikes against what it described as militant-related targets in Pakistani territory. According to Pakistani officials, these strikes killed 31 civilians AP News1.
In response, Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, including three Rafale fighter jets, one MIG-29 fighter aircraft, one Su-30 fighter jet, and one Heron drone. While The New York Times has been unable to independently verify these claims, debris identified as an external fuel tank from a French-made fighter jet was found in the village of Wuyan in Indian-administered Kashmir The New York Times2.
John E. Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, told The New York Times that Pakistan has both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles capable of downing such aircraft.
The conflict has escalated further with intense artillery exchanges across the Line of Control (LoC) that separates Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of Kashmir. Local officials report this is "the most intense shelling in years," with bombardments continuing well into Friday morning BBC News3.
Civilian Impact and Humanitarian Crisis
The human toll of the escalating conflict has been devastating for civilians living near the Line of Control. In the Uri sector of Indian-administered Kashmir, 45-year-old Nargis Bano was killed when a Pakistani artillery shell hit the vehicle she was traveling in as her family attempted to flee the heavy cross-border shelling. Two other family members sustained serious injuries NDTV4.
"She was in a car," said one of Ms. Bano's relatives. "Nargis and other members of her family were in a Scorpio trying to escape Pakistani shelling. The car was around 3 km from their house when a shell fell on the car, following which shrapnel went through the roof and hit Nargis on her head," according to NDTV.
In the village of Salamabad, residents described a night of terror when Pakistani shells struck their homes. "While we were fast asleep, a loud explosion jolted us awake. Mortar shells had landed near a water dam, and by 03:00 more shells struck several houses, setting them ablaze," Bashir Ahmad, a local shopkeeper, told BBC News.
Indian authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of civilians from villages near the frontier, with thousands spending a second consecutive night in shelters. Pakistan reports that Indian mortar and artillery fire has killed 17 civilians in Pakistan-administered Kashmir since Wednesday AP News1.
Official Responses and Accusations
Both countries have traded accusations regarding responsibility for the escalation. India has blamed Pakistan for backing the April 22 terrorist attack that killed 26 people at a tourist site in Kashmir, an accusation that Islamabad firmly rejects.
On Thursday, India claimed it thwarted Pakistani drone and missile attacks at military targets in more than a dozen cities and towns. India also stated it hit Pakistan's air defense systems and radars near the city of Lahore, though Pakistan denied carrying out drone attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir AP News1.
The Indian government has also ordered social platform X to block users in the country from accessing more than 8,000 accounts, including "international news organizations and other prominent users," in a move that X described as "censorship" that is "contrary to the fundamental right of free speech."
Broader Social and Economic Impact
The crisis has disrupted daily life well beyond the immediate conflict zone. Educational institutions across Jammu and Kashmir have been ordered shut, and several northern and western Indian states, including Punjab and Rajasthan, have closed schools for two days.
India's Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed the temporary closure of 24 airports across northern and western regions. The Indian Premier League, the country's biggest domestic cricket tournament, has been suspended for one week, while Pakistan has moved its own domestic tournament to the United Arab Emirates AP News1.
Financial markets have also felt the impact, with India's benchmark Sensex dropping 662 points to 79,649 in early trading on Friday, while Nifty 50 declined 215 points to trade at 24,058.
Expert Analysis and Historical Context
The current escalation marks a significant deterioration in relations that had shown signs of improvement following a 2021 ceasefire agreement. Until that agreement, incidents of cross-border fire were reported regularly along the Line of Control, but the ceasefire had led to a sharp decrease in attacks and a return to normalcy for many residents BBC News3.
Mohammad Shakil, who lives near the frontier in Pakistan's Chakothi sector, told AP News: "We're used to hearing exchange of fire between Pakistan and India at the Line of Control, but last night was different," highlighting the unusual intensity of the recent exchanges.
Security analysts note that the situation is particularly concerning given both countries' nuclear capabilities. The longstanding dispute over Kashmir has been the flashpoint for three of the four wars fought between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947.
International Response and De-escalation Efforts
As fears of a broader military confrontation mount, international reactions have been mixed. U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated in an interview with Fox News that a potential war between India and Pakistan would be "none of our business."
"What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it," Vance said AP News1.
The statement marks a notable shift in U.S. foreign policy, which has historically sought to mediate tensions between the two nuclear powers.
Future Implications for Regional Stability
The current crisis represents the most serious military confrontation between India and Pakistan since their 2019 standoff following an attack on Indian security forces in Pulwama, Kashmir. Given the nuclear capabilities of both nations, the international community watches with concern as the situation unfolds.
Local residents who have lived through previous periods of cross-border hostility express uncertainty about the future. "We are not soldiers. We are farmers. We have families here," one elderly villager in Salamabad told NDTV. "Where will we go?"
As artillery exchanges continue and civilian casualties mount, the question remains whether diplomatic channels can prevail to prevent further escalation between these nuclear-armed neighbors, or if the Kashmir region is heading toward another full-scale conflict with potentially catastrophic consequences.
