Key Points
- India and Pakistan agreed to a US-mediated ceasefire on Saturday at 5 pm after days of deadly escalation, but Pakistan violated the truce within hours with fresh shelling and drone activity.
- Explosions and drone sightings were reported in Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur, and other border areas, prompting blackouts and heightened military alert across multiple states.
- The Indian Army remains on high alert, with orders to respond decisively to any further violations.
- The recent flare-up follows India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
- Despite the ceasefire, both sides accuse each other of violations, and tensions remain high along the Line of Control (LoC).
New Delhi: After days of intense military escalation, India and Pakistan agreed to a US-mediated ceasefire starting at 5 pm on Saturday. The truce was expected to halt all hostilities by land, air, and sea, following a series of deadly cross-border attacks that had raised fears of a wider conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
However, the fragile peace was shattered within hours. By Saturday evening, multiple explosions and drone sightings were reported in Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur, and other border regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Blackouts were enforced in these areas, as well as in border districts of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Gujarat, with civilians urged to stay indoors.
Indian officials confirmed that Pakistan had violated the ceasefire agreement reached earlier in the day. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated, “In the last few hours, there have been multiple breaches of the understanding established earlier this evening between the military operations directors of India and Pakistan. This constitutes a violation of the agreement made earlier today… We urge Pakistan to take necessary measures to rectify these breaches and manage the situation”.
The Indian Army remains on high alert, with explicit orders to respond decisively to any further violations. Security forces have been instructed to maintain a strong vigil and take direct action if any suspicious movement is detected along the border.
The latest escalation comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7. This operation targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. Indian airstrikes reportedly caused significant damage to Pakistani military infrastructure, including air bases and ammunition dumps.
Despite the ceasefire, both nations have traded accusations of violations. Pakistan’s Information Minister denied any breaches on their side, while Indian authorities insist that the repeated shelling and drone attacks constitute serious infractions. The situation remains tense, with red alerts and heightened security in several Indian states.
Scenes of relief and celebration were reported in parts of Kashmir and both countries immediately after the ceasefire announcement, but these hopes were quickly dashed by the renewed violence. The Indian government has reiterated its uncompromising stance against terrorism and warned that any future act of terror will be treated as an act of war.
As of now, both militaries are maintaining a strong presence along the border, and further talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of both countries are scheduled for May 12 to address the ongoing crisis.
