India and Pakistan: A history of armed conflict
India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier in Kashmir on Wednesday in a major escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The latest crisis erupted after New Delhi launched missile strikes on its arch-rival, with deaths subsequently reported on both sides.
New Delhi accuses Pakistan of backing the deadliest attack in years on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, in which 26 men were killed.
Islamabad rejects the charge.
The two sides have fought multiple conflicts – ranging from skirmishes to all-out war – since their bloody partition in 1947.
1947: Partition
Two centuries of British rule end on August 15, 1947, with the sub-continent divided into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.
The poorly prepared partition unleashes bloodshed that kills possibly more than a million people and displaces 15 million others.
Kashmir's monarch dithers on whether to submit to Indian or Pakistani rule.
After the suppression of an uprising against his rule, Pakistan-backed militants attack. He seeks India's help, precipitating an all-out war between the countries.
A UN-backed, 770-kilometer (480-mile) ceasefire line in January 1949 divides Kashmir.
1965: Kashmir
Pakistan launches a second war in August 1965 when it invades India-administered Kashmir.
Thousands are killed before a September ceasefire brokered by the Soviet Union and the United States.
1971: Bangladesh
Pakistan deploys troops in 1971 to suppress an independence movement in what is now Bangladesh, which it had governed since 1947 as East Pakistan.
An estimated three million people are killed in the nine-month conflict, and millions flee into India.
India invades, leading to the creation of the independent nation of Bangladesh.
1989-90: Kashmir
An uprising breaks out in Kashmir in 1989 as grievances at Indian rule boil over. Tens of thousands of soldiers, rebels, and civilians are killed in the following decades.
India accuses Pakistan of funding the rebels and aiding their weapons training.
1999: Kargil
Pakistan-backed militants seize Indian military posts in the icy heights of the Kargil mountains.
Pakistan yields after severe pressure from Washington, alarmed by intelligence reports showing Islamabad had deployed part of its nuclear arsenal nearer to the conflict. At least 1,000 people are killed over 10 weeks.
2019: Kashmir
A suicide attack on a convoy of Indian security forces kills 40 in Pulwama.
India, which is busy with campaigning for general elections, sends fighter jets which carry out air strikes on Pakistani territory to target an alleged militant training camp.
One Indian jet is shot down over Pakistani-controlled territory, with the captured pilot safely released within days back to India.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Peacekeepers Say Troops Attacked by Individuals in South Lebanon
United Nations peacekeepers said rock-throwing individuals confronted them during a patrol on Tuesday in south Lebanon, calling repeated targeting of their troops "unacceptable". The UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel, sits on a five-member committee to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah. In a statement, UNIFIL said peacekeepers conducting "a planned patrol" coordinated with the Lebanese army were "confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat al-Tahta, in southern Lebanon". "The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers," the statement read, adding that "one peacekeeper was struck" but no injuries were reported, AFP reported. The situation was defused when the Lebanese army intervened, allowing the peacekeeping force to continue its patrol. "It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to be targeted," the statement added. UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP a Finnish soldier was slapped during the confrontation. A witness, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said an altercation ensued between locals and the Lebanese army, who were searching for the man who slapped the peacekeeper. One man opposing the army was injured and hospitalized, the witness said. In a statement, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he "strongly condemns the repeated attacks" on UNIFIL forces and called for the attackers to be stopped and held accountable. There have been several confrontations between people in south Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, and UN peacekeepers in recent weeks. Confrontations are typically defused by the Lebanese army and rarely escalate. In December 2022, an Irish peacekeeper was killed in a shooting at a UN armoured vehicle in the south. Hezbollah surrendered a man accused of the crime, but he was released around a year later. The November ceasefire agreement, which sought to end over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, states that only Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers may be deployed in the country's south. Israel is supposed to have fully withdrawn its troops from Lebanon according to the deal, but has remained in five positions it deems strategic and has repeatedly bombed the country.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan announces $62 billion budget 2025-26, raises defense spending by 20 percent to $9 billion
KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday announced its federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs7.57 trillion ($62 billion), an overall decrease in spending by 7 percent, but hiked the defense expenditure by 20 percent following a recent military conflict with nuclear-armed neighbor India. Finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented a budget that allocated Rs2.55 trillion ($9 billion) for defense spending in FY26, compared to Rs2.12 trillion in the fiscal year ending this month. 'This budget is being presented at a very important and historic moment when the nation in recent days showed extraordinary unity, determination and strength,' Aurangzeb said, referring to the recent military confrontation with India, in which the militaries of the two nations exchanged drone, missile and artillery attacks, with a combined 70 people killed on both sides. 'With this same national unity and determination, we should turn our focus to our economic strength, growth and welfare,' the finance minister said. 'The spirit with which we protected and strengthened our national sovereignty, we need to ensure our financial security and the welfare of the people with the same unity and strength.' The military clash between India and Pakistan was sparked by an April attack by assailants who targeted Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir in April, killing 26 men. New Delhi blamed the attack on militants backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. The two sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery against each other before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10 after four days of fighting, their worst in nearly three decades. Here are some of the key highlights from the country's 2025-26 budget: GDP/DEFICIT * GDP growth projected to be 4.2 percent * Nominal GDP seen at 129.57 trillion rupees * Fiscal deficit expected to be 3.9 percent of GDP * Targets primary surplus of 2.4 percent of GDP INFLATION * Targets inflation at 7.5 percent EXPENDITURE * Total spending seen at 17.57 trillion rupees * Defense expenditure of 2.55 trillion rupees targeted * Interest payments projected at 8.21 trillion rupees REVENUE * Total gross revenue of 19.28 trillion rupees targeted * Targets total tax revenue of 14.1 trillion rupees * Aiming for net external receipts of 106 billion rupees ($1 = 282.0000 Pakistani rupees) - With inputs from Reuters
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
UN peacekeepers say troops attacked by individuals in south Lebanon
BEIRUT: United Nations peacekeepers said rock-throwing individuals confronted them during a patrol on Tuesday in south Lebanon, calling repeated targeting of their troops 'unacceptable.' The UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel, sits on a five-member committee to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah. In a statement, UNIFIL said peacekeepers conducting 'a planned patrol' coordinated with the Lebanese army were 'confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat Al-Tahta, in southern Lebanon.' 'The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers,' the statement read, adding that 'one peacekeeper was struck' but no injuries were reported. The situation was defused when the Lebanese army intervened, allowing the peacekeeping force to continue its patrol. 'It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to be targeted,' the statement added. UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP a Finnish soldier was slapped during the confrontation. A witness, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said an altercation ensued between locals and the Lebanese army, who were searching for the man who slapped the peacekeeper. One man opposing the army was injured and hospitalized, the witness said. In a statement, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he 'strongly condemns the repeated attacks' on UNIFIL forces and called for the attackers to be stopped and held accountable. There have been several confrontations between people in south Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, and UN peacekeepers in recent weeks. Confrontations are typically defused by the Lebanese army and rarely escalate. In December 2022, an Irish peacekeeper was killed in a shooting at a UN armored vehicle in the south. Hezbollah surrendered a man accused of the crime, but he was released around a year later. The November ceasefire agreement, which sought to end over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, states that only Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers may be deployed in the country's south. Israel is supposed to have fully withdrawn its troops from Lebanon according to the deal, but has remained in five positions it deems strategic and has repeatedly bombed the country.
