Senior military officials from India and Pakistan are set to meet on Monday to discuss operational details of a US-brokered ceasefire, following four days of intense cross-border fighting that pushed the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war.
The ceasefire, announced by former U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, came after a week of escalating hostilities marked by air strikes, artillery exchanges, and mutual accusations of aggression. Trump hailed the agreement as timely intervention to prevent “death and destruction of so many, and so much.”
Since the announcement, hostilities have ceased, and both nations have reported a quiet night along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Despite the calm, both sides remain on high alert and have issued stern warnings against any breach of the ceasefire terms.
India announced on Monday the reopening of 32 civilian airports that had been closed due to security concerns, signalling a tentative return to normalcy. However, both governments continue to assert military success, each claiming significant damage inflicted on the other’s military infrastructure.
The recent flare-up began after a deadly militant attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, a popular valley in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. India blamed the attack on a Pakistan-based group, a charge Islamabad has denied. On May 7, India responded with airstrikes on nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, escalating the conflict.
Over the next several days, both countries reported heavy shelling near the LoC and accused each other of targeting military installations. India claimed to have struck 11 Pakistan Air Force bases and eliminated over 100 militants in cross-border strikes on training camps. Pakistan acknowledged some Indian projectiles landed at its air bases and responded with strikes on about 26 military facilities in India.
Pakistan also claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft, including three French-made Rafales, and denied reports that an Indian pilot was captured. India neither confirmed the number of aircraft lost nor responded to the pilot claim but did acknowledge that losses occurred during the conflict.
While the ceasefire has brought a fragile halt to open hostilities, the situation remains tense. The upcoming military talks are expected to address mechanisms to ensure the ceasefire holds and to prevent further escalation in a region long marred by decades of rivalry and conflict.
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