The tense frontier between India and Pakistan saw a rare moment of peace following a surprise ceasefire that came into effect over the weekend. According to a statement released by the Indian army on Monday, the night was the “first calm night in recent days,” signaling a tentative end to one of the worst bouts of cross-border violence in decades.
The truce was brokered unexpectedly on Saturday and announced by U.S. President Donald Trump via social media, after four consecutive days of heavy missile, drone, and artillery attacks. The recent hostilities claimed the lives of at least 60 people and displaced thousands, with the frontier town of Poonch in Indian-administered Kashmir bearing the brunt. Poonch alone witnessed the deaths of at least 12 civilians and the mass exodus of most of its 60,000 residents.
Though initial skepticism loomed — with both India and Pakistan accusing each other of violating the ceasefire just hours after it was declared — the calm on Sunday and Monday appears to have restored a fragile hope. The Indian army confirmed that no incidents were reported along the Line of Control (LoC) and other border areas overnight, marking a significant de-escalation in tensions.
The conflict escalated rapidly last Wednesday when India launched missile strikes on alleged “terrorist camps” in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. These strikes were in retaliation for an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, an accusation Islamabad strongly denied. Pakistan retaliated with heavy artillery fire and claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets, though New Delhi has remained silent on the matter.
The ongoing turmoil in Kashmir has intensified since 2019, when the Indian government revoked the region’s limited autonomy. Militancy and cross-border violence have since surged, with both sides accusing each other of fostering unrest.
While people in Poonch have slowly begun returning to their homes, uncertainty looms over the longevity of the ceasefire. The Kashmir region, claimed in full by both India and Pakistan since 1947, remains a flashpoint in South Asian geopolitics — and peace remains precariously balanced.
