The tensions between India and Pakistan have been ongoing for eight decades. Pakistan has always sheltered terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, who in the past have been responsible for carrying out deadly attacks on Indian soil. It seems Pakistan has not only sheltered these terrorist groups, but has also funded them, a fact which the country has been denying ever since. But with the attack on Pahalgam, Pakistan has once again shown how deeply it supports and nurtures terrorism.

April 22, 2025: Pahalgam Terror Attack

On April 22, five armed terrorists entered the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam and carried out a selective killing of twenty-three innocent Hindu tourists who had gone to the scenic valley for a vacation with their families. The firing also resulted in the death of a Christian man and a Muslim pony rider who lost his life while saving the tourists. The recognition of religion was made by the gunmen by asking the tourists to recite ‘kalima’, a Muslim prayer of faith, before opening fire on the Hindus. While the women and children were spared, the men were brutally killed in front of their families by the gunmen using AK–47s and M4 carbines.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had initially taken the responsibility of the killings but later retracted their claim. The TRF has a long history of problems with non-Kashmiris settling in the region, as they consider it a loss of livelihood for the locals. However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the investigation, had said that links and communication had been traced back to Sheikh Sajjad Gul, the TRF head and the mastermind behind the deadly terror attack. Along with him, the Indian authorities have also identified the attackers as Ali Bhai and Asif Fauji from Pakistan, as well as Adil Houssain Thoker and Ashan from Jammu and Kashmir.

April 23 – 25, 2025: Diplomatic Tensions and India’s Retaliation

In response to the attack, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced the immediate suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, which was signed in 1960 between both nations, to share the water of the Chenab River. The Wagah–Attari border was also shut down, hence closing the only road route between the two countries. Also, India ordered the Pakistani diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, along with cancelling the visas of all Pakistani nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).

Heavy military guarding along the LOC was arranged, along with a temporary lockdown being imposed in Pahalgam. The Indian Army, with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, initiated a joint search operation in Pahalgam for the terrorists responsible for the attack. Gunfire exchange and artillery shelling along both sides of the border had been reported, with an Indian soldier getting martyred in the process.

April 26-27, 2025: Military Operations

The Indian security forces were successful in neutralising several terrorists who were a part of the Pahalgam terror attack by carrying out an operation in the Pulwama and Kulgam districts. The Indian government also released water from the Uri dam, leading to flooding in parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This increased tension between the two countries.

Leepa Valley grappled with gunfire, with Pakistan deploying M110 weaponry. The Indian forces responded accordingly, resulting in the escalation of the conflict. On the same day, that is 27 April, the Prime Minister of India briefed around 100 diplomats from different countries about the Pahalgam attack. This move was aimed at justifying India’s military and diplomatic retaliation against Pakistan. Public sentiments ran high on both sides of the border, with the people of Indian condemning the cowardly Pahalgam attack and the Pakistani people criticising the reprisal by India.

April 28 – May 2, 2025: International Reaction and Continued Military Skirmish

Pakistan was the first to violate the ceasefire agreements. And since April 28, several firings along the LOC, including in Poonch, Rajouri and Kupwara, were reported. The civilians were the ones who got caught in the crossfire and paid for their lives with their blood. Reports indicated that about 15 people were killed and 43 others were injured in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reactions from countries like the USA, the UK, Israel, Russia and France started pouring in. Although these countries voiced their opposition against terrorism and condemned it, they even called for de-escalation through dialogue and discussion. For military preparedness, India also conducted defence and military exercises, including air sirens exercises and practising evacuation techniques. Pakistan, on the other hand, had also begun testing its missiles to reflect its own preparedness to the world. All this led to an increase in hostility, with the United Kingdom and Russia issuing travel advisories to their citizens from travelling to either of the countries.

May 3 – May 5, 2025: Cross-Border Incidents and Military Readiness

On May 3, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) captured a Pakistani ranger who had entered Rajasthan. This incident mirrors the same fate of a BSF personnel who had entered Pakistani territory and have been detained since. The Pakistani army continued its series of unprovoked firing from the LOC, violating several ceasefire arrangements. The firing was reported in districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Baramulla and Akhnoor, among others. The Indian Army retaliated proportionately to this gunfire, all while maintaining its ground.

‘Operation Abhyaas’, a civil preparedness drive announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, was made to prepare and monitor the level of readiness of Indians. Mock drills, blackouts and public training sessions were held on May 7 in about 244 districts of the country. The government also took several measures to spread public awareness by issuing guidelines to the media, the common people and the concerned stakeholders.

May 6 – May 7, 2025: Operation Sindoor

Between 1:05 AM and 1:30 AM, the Indian Armed Forces conducted an operation of 14 missile attacks on nine locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan’s Punjab province. These regions were the safehouses and residences of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India deployed Rafale fighter jets imported from France, equipped with SCAAP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs. This was a successful operation as it led to the elimination of 70 terrorists, most notably of Abdul Rauf Azhar, whose brother Masood Azhar was responsible for killing the American journalist, Daniel Pearl.

Pakistan condemned the attacks and claimed that the drone strike killed 31 of their civilians and left 46 injured. India rejected these claims. May 7 also saw the Indian and Pakistani airspace getting bombarded with around 100 jets getting involved in the fight from both sides. Israeli-made Drones were also deployed by India to counter the attacks made by Pakistan.

May 8 – 10, 2025: Ceasefire Agreement

Pakistan launched its own operation called ‘Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos’, to target the Indian military sites and to retaliate against the air combat ensuing between the countries. On May 10, with the USA’s mediation, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire agreement and to de-escalate the conflict with each other. This de-escalation was welcomed by countries like the UK and China, which encouraged both countries to settle the issue through talks and discussion.

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