Pakistan & India Exchange 2nd Straight Day Of Border Fire: 'On The Brink'
Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged border fire for a second straight day, in an increasingly volatile and highly dangerous crisis which could develop into full-scale war between longtime nuclear-armed rivals.
BREAKING: Heavy exchange of fire reported as Pakistan Army responds forcefully to Indian forces' firing in Leepa Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/ENmRiqcY5v — Clash Report (@clashreport) April 26, 2025
Islamic militants killed 26 Indian tourists who had been in a picturesque, mountainous and popular spot in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday. India quickly blasted Pakistan for harboring terrorists in the disputed border area, a charge which Pakistani leaders vehemently rejected, instead suggesting it was a 'false flag' orchestrated by New Delhi.
Pakistan's PM Sharif meanwhile said his country is ready to defend its sovereignty but offered willingness to establish a 'neutral' international investigation into the attack.
Days into the crisis and land borders have been shut, visas and military exchange programs mutually canceled, and a landmark water treaty has been suspended.
Al Jazeera writes that Indian 'Armed police and soldiers are searching homes and forests for fighters in Kashmir, and India's army chief reviewed security in the region,' amid the hunt for the killers.
As for the two consecutive days of border fire, it's unclear precisely where this took place or whether either side took on casualties. Several military outposts reported exchanges of fire.
On former diplomat has warned the region could descend into full-blown war:
Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani diplomat, has told Al Jazeera that there is 'a somber mood' in Pakistan with a great deal of apprehension about what might happen next.
'The tensions between the two countries have already pushed the region into an uncharted territory,' she said.
Lodhi added: 'The nuclear neighbors are on the brink of a more dangerous confrontation, so there are fears, especially because of speeches by Prime Minister Modi as well as the Indian media.'
Below is President Trump's reaction aboard Air Force One…
#WATCH | On #PahalgamTerroristAttack, US President Donald Trump says, "I am very close to India and I'm very close to Pakistan, and they've had that fight for a thousand years in Kashmir. Kashmir has been going on for a thousand years, probably longer than that. That was a bad… pic.twitter.com/R4Bc25Ar6h — ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2025
According to Reuters, citing military sources:
The Indian Army said it had responded to 'unprovoked' small arms fire from multiple Pakistan Army posts that started around midnight on Friday along the 740-km (460-mile) de facto border separating the Indian and Pakistani areas of Kashmir. It reported no casualties.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers to 'the ends of the earth' and a significant military build-up has been observed in the Jammu and Kashmir regions. Likely Pakistan is also sending additional troops.
On top of everything, Indian airlines are having to reroute all of their flights to avoid Pakistani airspace, amid tit-for-tat airspace closures. The tensions have had a negative effect on Indian markets, also as business brace for higher costs.
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