Pakistan violates ceasefire across 8 LoC sectors 11th night in a row, Indian army retaliates 'promptly'

Initially limited to north Kashmir’s Kupwara and Baramulla, the ceasefire violations soon spread across the Pir Panjal range to Poonch, Rajouri, and parts of Jammu district.

For the 11th consecutive night, Pakistani troops opened unprovoked fire across multiple sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, in blatant violation of the 2021 ceasefire agreement, defence officials said Monday.

The latest bout of firing, which occurred during the intervening night of May 4 and May 5, targeted Indian positions in eight sectors - Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor.

The Indian Army responded “promptly and proportionately,” a defence spokesperson in Jammu confirmed, countering the escalating aggression along both the LoC and the International Border.

The fresh violations come amid mounting tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.

The Pakistani side has continued to provoke despite a recent hotline conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations, during which India is believed to have warned Islamabad against further hostilities.

Initially limited to north Kashmir’s Kupwara and Baramulla, the ceasefire violations soon spread across the Pir Panjal range to Poonch, Rajouri, and parts of Jammu district. Firing was also reported from the Pargwal sector along the International Border, further widening the arc of conflict.

These repeated violations, spanning five border districts, suggest a breakdown of the ceasefire understanding announced in February 2021, when both countries recommitted to the 2003 agreement for maintaining calm along the border.

The current hostilities began just hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty on April 24 in response to the Pahalgam attack. Pakistan retaliated by sealing its airspace to Indian aircraft, suspending cross-border trade via Wagah, and declaring any diversion of Indus waters an “Act of War.”

With frequent and simultaneous flare-ups along the 740-kilometer LoC, the situation is now considered the most volatile since the 2021 ceasefire recommitment. India shares a 3,323-kilometer-long border with Pakistan, comprising the 2,400-km International Border, the 740-km LoC, and the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) in Siachen.

(With inputs from agencies)