Tensions Escalate as Pakistan Fires on Indian Posts Along LoC

Pakistani forces initiated unprovoked gunfire along the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday night, prompting a strong response from Indian troops, according to military sources. The exchange marked the second consecutive night of hostilities, fueled by escalating tensions after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday that claimed 26 civilian lives.

Pakistani troops targeted Indian positions across the LoC in Kashmir, employing small arms fire. “On the night of April 25-26, Pakistan Army posts engaged in unprovoked firing across multiple sectors of the LoC,” a source reported. Indian forces retaliated with measured small arms fire, and no casualties were reported.

The Pakistani military has been on high alert since India vowed to pursue those responsible for the Pahalgam attack. In response to the attack’s cross-border connections, India announced severe measures on Wednesday, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari border crossing, and expelling Pakistani military attaches. New Delhi also ordered all Pakistanis who entered via Attari to leave by May 1.

Pakistan retaliated on Thursday by closing its airspace to Indian airlines and halting trade with India, including via third countries. Islamabad rejected India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that any interference with Pakistan’s water rights under the agreement would be considered an “act of war.”

Amid public outrage over the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday to hunt down the perpetrators, stating that India would “identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their supporters, no matter where they hide.”