Pakistan violates LoC ceasefire for 10th night in a row; India retaliates 'proportionately'

Pakistani posts opened fire without provocation in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor.

In a continued escalation of hostilities, Pakistani troops, during the intervening night of May and May 4, resorted to unprovoked small arms firing across multiple sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, defence officials said on Sunday.

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Notably, this marks the tenth consecutive night of ceasefire violations from across the border following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

According to a defence spokesperson, Pakistani posts opened fire without provocation in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor. The Indian Army responded “promptly and proportionately” to the firing. No casualties have been reported so far.

The fresh violations come despite the ceasefire agreement reaffirmed by India and Pakistan on February 25, 2021, which had led to a significant drop in cross-border hostilities along the LoC and the International Border (IB) over the past three years.

Since April 24, just hours after India announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani forces have been consistently violating the ceasefire, starting with Kupwara and Baramulla in north Kashmir. The firing soon extended to other sectors, including Poonch, Rajouri, and the IB in Jammu’s Pargwal area.

The Indian Army is maintaining a high state of alert across the border regions, while panic-stricken villagers in affected areas have begun cleaning and preparing their individual and community bunkers in anticipation of further escalation.

The renewed hostilities follow a recent hotline exchange between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations, during which Indian officials are believed to have issued a strong warning to their Pakistani counterparts.

The tensions have been steadily rising since April 22, when a terrorist attack on a convoy in Pahalgam left dozens dead. India has blamed Pakistan-based operatives for the assault and launched a series of diplomatic and economic retaliatory measures, including a total import ban on Pakistani goods, closure of the Attari land border, and the suspension of postal and maritime links.

On April 24, Pakistan retaliated by closing its airspace to Indian carriers, shutting down the Wagah border crossing, suspending trade, and issuing a warning that any attempt to divert water under the Indus treaty would be considered an “act of war.”