India and Pakistan head towards dangerous confrontation
Shafaq News/ Armed clashes between India and Pakistan killed over 17 civilians and injured more than a dozen others in an exchange of fire in Kashmir.
Indian military officials described the offensive as a precision operation against Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed facilities, citing links to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 Hindu pilgrims. Pakistan denied harboring militants and condemned the strikes as indiscriminate.
Meanwhile, Pakistan reported that Indian shelling targeted residential areas in Azad Kashmir, resulting in five fatalities and 12 injuries.
The strikes followed India's launch of "Operation Sindoor" on May 7, targeting alleged militant infrastructure across the Line of Control and inside Pakistan-administered territory.
Islamabad authorized retaliatory action, claiming its forces shot down five Indian aircraft, including Rafale and MiG-29 jets, as well as several drones. India has not confirmed the reported losses.
Notably, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and closed border crossings, while Pakistan withdrew from the 1972 Simla Agreement, barred Indian flights from its airspace, and expelled Indian diplomats.
National security-level contacts have been established between Pakistan and India according to Pakistan's ambassador to Washington Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, who warned that domestic political pressure may 'limit Islamabad's flexibility.'
With military activity intensifying and formal communication channels deteriorating, regional analysts warn of heightened risk of full-scale confrontation in the absence of urgent international mediation.
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