Pakistani Troops Violate Ceasefire for 11th Night, India Retaliates Along LoC
Unprovoked firing reported in eight sectors across Jammu and Kashmir amid post-Pahalgam attack tensions
Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing across eight forward sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir late Sunday night, marking the 11th consecutive night of ceasefire violations, officials said on Monday. The Indian Army responded promptly and proportionately.
The latest flare-up comes amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. Defence spokespersons said the firing, involving small arms, began in the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir and quickly spread southward to the Poonch and Akhnoor sectors of the Jammu region.
"During the night of May 4 and 5, Pakistan Army posts resorted to unprovoked small arms fire across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor in J-K," the spokesperson said.
The firing also extended to the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu, despite recent hotline contact between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations on April 29. The Indian side reportedly cautioned Pakistan about continued provocations during those exchanges.
Ceasefire violations have escalated since April 24, the day India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam attack. Pakistan subsequently blocked airspace for Indian airlines, shut down the Wagah border, and suspended trade ties—warning that diversion of river waters would be considered an "act of war."
The repeated breaches render the February 2021 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement increasingly ineffective. India shares a 3,323-km border with Pakistan, including the 740-km-long LoC where these violations are concentrated.