Continued cross-border firing between India and Pakistan

According to AFP, as in previous nights, the Indian army stated that Pakistani forces opened fire with small arms on their positions near the Line of Control in Kashmir, the de facto border between the two nations, and Indian forces responded in a measured and effective manner.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated to their highest level since the April 22 attack by gunmen in Pulwama, which killed 26 people. New Delhi immediately blamed Islamabad for the attack, considered the deadliest against civilians in the Muslim-majority region in decades.

Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for an “impartial investigation” into the incident. Both countries have taken retaliatory measures, including ordering border closures.

India has set Tuesday as the deadline for Pakistani citizens to leave its territory. Analysts fear these developments could lead to potential military action.

The Muslim-majority Kashmir region was divided between India and Pakistan after their independence in 1947, with both claiming sovereignty over the entire area. Since 1989, conflicts between separatists and Indian forces have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters in Islamabad, “We have strengthened our forces because this (Indian attack) is something that now seems imminent. Strategic decisions must be made in such circumstances, and those decisions have been made.”

According to the Hindustan Times, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to brief him on the security situation in Kashmir and the army’s preparedness following the Pulwama attack.