logo
India and Pakistan: A history of armed conflict

India and Pakistan: A history of armed conflict

Al Arabiya07-05-2025

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.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump nominee for South Asia secretary backs Pakistan security cooperation ‘where beneficial for US'
Trump nominee for South Asia secretary backs Pakistan security cooperation ‘where beneficial for US'

Arab News

time2 hours ago

  • Arab News

Trump nominee for South Asia secretary backs Pakistan security cooperation ‘where beneficial for US'

ISLAMABAD: Paul Kapur, President Donald Trump's nominee to be assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs, said this week he would pursue security cooperation with Pakistan 'where beneficial to US interests.' Kapur was speaking during a confirmation hearing before the US Senate on Tuesday. 'On Pakistan, if confirmed, I will pursue security cooperation where beneficial to US interests, while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment,' Kapur said in his testimony. 'South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict, with the [US] Vice President and Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio intensely engaged on the issue. If confirmed, I will continue to promote longstanding US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability, and the fight against terrorism.' Kapur is, as of 2025, a professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He is a visiting faculty member at the Hoover Institution and has taught at Claremont McKenna College. He was also a visiting professor at Stanford University. In 2025, Kapur was nominated as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs by the second Trump administration, succeeding Donald Lu. Pakistani observers are carefully watching Kapur's appointment as he wrote in his book 'Jihad as Grand Strategy' that jihad was a major part of Pakistan's grand strategy, and not just a 'political instrument' it used. He has claimed that the utilization of jihad by Pakistan is an intentional government strategy.

US CENTCOM chief calls Pakistan ‘phenomenal partner' in ongoing fight against militancy
US CENTCOM chief calls Pakistan ‘phenomenal partner' in ongoing fight against militancy

Arab News

time2 hours ago

  • Arab News

US CENTCOM chief calls Pakistan ‘phenomenal partner' in ongoing fight against militancy

KARACHI: The head of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla, this week praised Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner' in counterterrorism efforts, citing continued operations against militant groups and active intelligence-sharing between the two countries. Pakistan and the United States have a long, if at times turbulent, history of counterterrorism cooperation dating back to the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Islamabad was a key partner during the US-led war in Afghanistan, and over the years has captured and handed over numerous Al-Qaeda operatives to US authorities. In a more recent high-profile case, Pakistani officials last year arrested and extradited a Daesh militant accused of planning the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, which killed 13 American service members and more than 160 Afghan civilians during the US military withdrawal. 'They're in an active counter-terrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world,' Kurilla said during a testimony before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington on Tuesday. Kurilla pointed to recent Pakistani operations targeting Daesh (ISIS-Khorasan), particularly in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. 'Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after Daesh Khorasan (Daesh) killing dozens of them through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence. They have captured at least five Daesh Khorasan (Daesh) high value individuals,' he said. 'So, we are seeing Pakistan with limited intelligence that provided them go after them using their means to do that and we're seeing an effect on Daesh (Daesh).' Kurtis added that both Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban were conducting parallel operations against Daesh along the border. Kurilla also noted the close personal coordination between military leaders, recalling that Pakistan's army chief had informed him directly of a major capture. 'Field Marshal Asim Munir called me to tell me they had captured one of the Daesh-K individuals,' he said. While Pak-Us relations have often been strained by mutual mistrust — particularly over drone strikes, militant sanctuaries, and geopolitical alignment — security cooperation between the two militaries has persisted, especially in the intelligence domain. Pakistan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to counterterrorism cooperation during a bilateral dialogue held in Washington in May. The talks focused on threats from groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh, both of which remain active in the region. Another round of counterterrorism talks is scheduled to take place later this month between Islamabad and Washington as part of broader efforts to rebuild ties and coordinate on shared security priorities. US officials have increasingly acknowledged Pakistan's role in containing regional terrorist threats, even as Islamabad faces internal challenges from a resurgent TTP and growing political and economic instability.

UK meeting hails Saudi Arabia's pivotal role in supporting humanitarian causes
UK meeting hails Saudi Arabia's pivotal role in supporting humanitarian causes

Saudi Gazette

time5 hours ago

  • Saudi Gazette

UK meeting hails Saudi Arabia's pivotal role in supporting humanitarian causes

Saudi Gazette report JERSEY — Senior representatives from donor countries and international humanitarian organizations attended the high-level meeting organized by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Pooled Fund Working Group (PFWG) in Jersey, the United Kingdom. At the end of the meeting, participants praised Saudi Arabia's pivotal role in supporting humanitarian causes. They highlighted the importance of maintaining this international momentum to ensure sustainable response efforts and amplify their impact on the ground. The meeting served as a key milestone in global efforts to enhance financing mechanisms and response to humanitarian needs. Saudi Representative in the Donor Support Group for OCHA and Assistant Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) for Planning and Development Dr. Aqeel Al-Ghamdi participated in the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, Al-Ghamdi emphasized the importance of enhancing joint action and coordination among donor countries and UN institutions to ensure equitable and effective access to aid, particularly for the most vulnerable groups. He also reiterated Saudi Arabia's commitment, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, to continue supporting global humanitarian efforts, contributing to the protection of lives and the improvement of living conditions in affected communities. Al-Ghamdi pointed out that the Kingdom is one of the leading and largest international donors in the humanitarian field, noting that Saudi Arabia, in recent years, has spearheaded notable humanitarian and development initiatives through KSrelief, which has reached more than 107 countries, implemented in partnership with UN agencies and international organizations.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store