Tensions Flare as Pakistan Violates Ceasefire Along LoC

Pakistani forces engaged in unprovoked firing across multiple sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the 12th consecutive night of ceasefire violations, according to a defence spokesperson. The Indian Army responded swiftly and proportionately to the aggression, which targeted forward posts in eight sectors.

The overnight attacks on May 5-6 involved small-arms fire from Pakistani posts opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor. The spokesperson confirmed that Indian troops countered the provocations effectively, with exchanges reported in five of the seven border districts in the region. No firing was noted along the International Border in Samba and Kathua districts.

The latest hostilities follow a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. Since April 24, when India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the attack, Pakistani troops have repeatedly targeted Indian positions, starting in the Kashmir Valley and extending to the Jammu region. Pakistan has retaliated by closing its airspace to Indian carriers, halting trade, shutting the Wagah border crossing, and warning that any water diversion under the treaty would be considered an “act of war.”

The 2021 ceasefire agreement, which reaffirmed a 2003 understanding, has been undermined by these repeated violations. India and Pakistan share a 3,323-kilometer border, comprising the 2,400-kilometer International Border from Gujarat to Akhnoor, the 740-kilometer LoC from Jammu to Ladakh, and the 110-kilometer Actual Ground Position Line in the Siachen Glacier region.