Indian border forces have shot and killed a Pakistani man who allegedly crossed the international frontier into India’s western state of Gujarat, just two weeks after a fragile ceasefire was brokered between India and Pakistan following a deadly four-day conflict.
According to a statement released Saturday by the Border Security Force (BSF), the incident occurred Friday evening in Banaskantha district, where troops spotted “one suspicious person advancing towards the border fence.” The fence, located beyond the official border line, is closely monitored by Indian forces.
“The intruder was challenged by our troops but did not stop,” the BSF said. “He continued to move forward, prompting our personnel to open fire. The intruder was neutralised on the spot.”
A photo released by the force shows the lifeless body of a middle-aged man with greying hair. No weapons were found on him, and his identity has not yet been confirmed. Indian authorities are reportedly investigating whether the man had any links to recent cross-border tensions.
The shooting comes in the wake of a renewed ceasefire agreement between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The truce was announced after a flare-up of hostilities in late June, which saw over 70 people killed in missile, drone, and artillery exchanges. The conflict was ignited by a brutal attack on April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir that claimed the lives of dozens of tourists—marking the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in decades.
New Delhi squarely blamed Islamabad for the attack, accusing it of supporting Islamist militant groups operating in Kashmir. Pakistan strongly denied the allegations, calling them “baseless and inflammatory.”
The latest border incident threatens to undermine the ceasefire and has heightened concerns of a possible return to violence. While neither government has issued an official response to the shooting, diplomatic observers warn that even isolated incidents like this could derail ongoing backchannel negotiations aimed at de-escalation.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947, and the contested territory of Kashmir remains a flashpoint. As tensions simmer, both sides face increasing pressure to avoid further bloodshed and seek lasting peace.
