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Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction: Senior Pakistani general
Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbors this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were 'terrorist infrastructure' sites across the border and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. 'We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,' said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's ministry of defence and the office of the Indian chief of defence staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. 'Nothing happened this time,' he said. 'But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.' He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainland's but neither has acknowledged any serious damage. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border again if there were new attacks on India. 'Dangerous trend' The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947. India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination. 'This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,' Mirza said. 'This is a very dangerous trend.' Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. 'The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,' he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. India's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday 'talks and terror don't go together' in response to a question on the possibility of dialogue with Pakistan. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defense staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. 'These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,' Mirza said.
Reuters
5 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Exclusive: Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, senior Pakistani general says
SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) - Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were "terrorist infrastructure" sites across the border and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. "We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now," said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's ministry of defence and the office of the Indian chief of defence staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. "Nothing happened this time," he said. "But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different." He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainlands but neither has acknowledged any serious damage. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target "terrorist hideouts" across the border again if there were new attacks on India. The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947. India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination. "This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan," Mirza said. "This is a very dangerous trend." Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the U.S., India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. "The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community," he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. India's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday "talks and terror don't go together" in response to a question on the possibility of dialogue with Pakistan. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. "These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield," Mirza said.
Khaleej Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Operation Sindoor explained: How India attacked Pakistan overnight, and why
[Editor's Note: Khaleej Times is bringing you the latest updates on rising tensions between India and Pakistan here.] Over the last week, as diplomatic relations rapidly unravelled following the Pahalgam attack, Pakistani intelligence sources forewarned an attack by India was imminent. On May 7, in the middle of the night, that warning was proved true. India attacked multiple sites in Pakistan early on Wednesday, targeting what it called 'terrorist infrastructure'. At least eight Pakistanis were killed and 35 injured, a Pakistan military spokesperson said in a statement. India's Ministry of Defence said the strike was part of 'Operation Sindoor' and described it as "a precise and restrained response" to the attack in Pahalgam last month, which claimed 26 lives. Here is everything you need to know about what the operation means and how it took place: What is 'Operation Sindoor'? The name of India's military operation, Sindoor, is an apparent reference to the women who lost their spouses in the attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam last month. Sindoor is a Hindi word used to refer to the traditional red vermilion worn by married Hindu women on their forehead symbolising protection and marital commitment. Women traditionally stop wearing it when they are widowed. The imagery has been brought to life with a graphic that has gone viral in the aftermath of the attack (see below): Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. How many sites were hit and where? India claims that it attacked nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir under the operation. According to ANI sources, Indian armed forces struck four targets in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot, and five in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Geo that all sites targeted by India were civilian and not militant camps. The Indian statement further said, "No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted." How were the sites chosen? Indian forces said they selected the location for strikes with the intent of targeting top Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar leadership for their role in sponsoring terrorist activities in India, stated ANI, citing close sources. What was the impact of the strikes? Initial reports recorded three civilian deaths in Pakistan, including that of a child. Within a couple of hours, however, the death toll was revised to eight, with 35 casualties reported. Meanwhile, a statement by the Indian army added that three civilians had been killed after Pakistan "resorted to indiscriminate firing and shelling". How has Pakistan responded? Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the Indian attack "unprovoked" and "cowardly", and said the "heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished." What does this operation mean for ongoing tensions? Wednesday's strikes are a dangerous heightening of friction between the South Asian neighbours, who have fought multiple wars since they gained independence from the British in 1947. For days, the international community has piled pressure on Pakistan and India to step back from the brink of war. However, in the wake of the attacks — which is the worst fighting in years between the nuclear-armed neighbours — Pakistan has said it would mount a befitting response in a "time of its choosing" to what it called "an act of war". Here, in the UAE, expats from both communities spent a restless night, staying up to watch the news and connect with anxious loved ones near the border amid fears of a full-blown war breaking out. (Read the full story here.) How have world leaders reacted? Asked about the strikes, US President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington he hopes the fighting "ends very quickly". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely, adding that he will "continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution". "The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan," the spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement, adding that Guterres called for "maximum restraint." Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, also called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace. The minister stressed that listening to voices calling for dialogue and understanding is crucial to avoiding military escalation, consolidating stability in South Asia, and sparing the region from tensions.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Is it safe to travel to India and Pakistan? Foreign Office revises travel advisory after deadly military escalation
UK citizens have been advised against travel to parts of India and Pakistan following a deadly escalation in conflict between the two nations. Officials said at least 31 people have been killed and 46 wounded after India fired missiles across the border into Pakistani-controlled territory in at least six locations. India said it struck infrastructure used by militants linked to last month's massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbours since the attack, which India has blamed Pakistan for backing. Islamabad has denied the accusation. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice for the region, warning against all travel within 10 kilometres of the India-Pakistan border, 10 miles of the Line of Control (the de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir between the two countries) and the Balochistan province of Pakistan. A statement said: 'On the night of 6 May (UK Time), the Indian Ministry of Defence stated it had struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In response, there are reports of Pakistani artillery fire across the Line of Control. On the night of 6 May (UK Time) Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority indicated that it was closing Pakistan airspace for at least 48 hours. There are reports of flights being diverted. British nationals should contact their airline for up-to-date information. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities.' The FCDO added: 'According to media reports on 6 May, the Indian Government announced a Civil Defence mock drill on 7 May in several states across India. The drill may include temporary power cuts or blackouts, loud air raid sirens, suspension of mobile signals, or traffic diversions. Authorities may also conduct evacuation exercises or hold public announcements.' Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and Labour MP Stella Creasy said they were 'deeply' concerned by the escalation in violence, while former Tory minister Lord Ahmad warned the 'potential for war tonight is real'. Pakistani officials said the strikes hit at least two sites previously tied to banned militant groups. One hit the Subhan Mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, killing 13 people, including a child, according to Zohaib Ahmed, a doctor at a nearby hospital. At least seven civilians were also killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir by Pakistani shelling, the Indian army said in a statement. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Wednesday's airstrikes and said the 'deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks' and that his country would retaliate. 'Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,' Mr Sharif said. Mr Sharif has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee for Wednesday morning. Mr Swinney said on Tuesday evening: 'I am deeply concerned by the events in Kashmir tonight and urge calm and dialogue to avoid further conflict.' Ms Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, warned the 'world cannot stand by' as the conflict spirals and the risk of harm to civilians in the region increases. 'Deeply concerning to see military air strikes in Jammu Kashmir tonight by the Indian Government,' she said. 'Restraint by all concerned must be sought and secured.' Lord Ahmad, who served as South Asia minister under the previous Conservative administration, said the missile strikes were an 'alarming escalation'. 'The potential of a war tonight is real – we need urgent international engagement to prevent a widening of this conflict, which carries serious implications not just for the region but for the wider world,' he said. MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana, who sits as an Independent following her suspension from Labour after she voted to back scrapping the two-child benefit cap, accused New Delhi of violating international law. She said in a post on social media: 'I condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, but no conclusive evidence has been presented linking Pakistan. 'India's unprovoked strike on Pakistan is a violation of international law. With both being nuclear powers, this is reckless & a grave threat to regional peace.' The missiles hit six locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country's eastern Punjab province, said Pakistan's military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif. The Indian army said 10 civilians were killed and 30 wounded in Poonch district when Pakistani troops 'resorted to arbitrary firing', including gunfire and artillery shelling, across the Line of Control and their international border. It said it was 'responding in a proportionate manner'. Shortly after India's strikes, aircraft fell in two villages in India-controlled Kashmir. State-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said the country's air force shot down five Indian jets in retaliation but provided no additional details. There was no immediate comment from India about Pakistan's claim. Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Indian forces had launched the strikes from inside Indian airspace. United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late on Tuesday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for maximum military restraint from both countries.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK warns against travel to parts of India and Pakistan amid deadly conflict
Britons have been advised not to travel to parts of India and Pakistan following a deadly escalation in conflict between the two nations. Officials said at least 19 people have been killed and 38 wounded after India fired missiles across the border into Pakistani-controlled territory in at least six locations. India said it struck infrastructure used by militants linked to last month's massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbours since the attack, which India has blamed Pakistan for backing. Islamabad has denied the accusation. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice for the region, warning against all travel within 10 kilometres of the India-Pakistan border, 10 miles of the Line of Control (the de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir between the two countries) and the Balochistan province of Pakistan. A statement said: 'On the night of 6 May (UK Time), the Indian Ministry of Defence stated it had struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. 'In response, there are reports of Pakistani artillery fire across the Line of Control. 'On the night of 6 May (UK Time) Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority indicated that it was closing Pakistan airspace for at least 48 hours. There are reports of flights being diverted. British nationals should contact their airline for up-to-date information. 'We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities.' Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and Labour MP Stella Creasy said they were 'deeply' concerned by the escalation in violence while former Tory minister Lord Ahmad warned the 'potential for war tonight is real'. Pakistani officials said the strikes hit at least two sites previously tied to banned militant groups. One hit the Subhan Mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, killing 13 people including a child, according to Zohaib Ahmed, a doctor at a nearby hospital. At least three civilians were also killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir by Pakistani shelling, the Indian army said in a statement. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Wednesday's airstrikes and said the 'deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks' and that his country would retaliate. 'Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,' Mr Sharif said. Mr Sharif has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee for Wednesday morning. Mr Swinney said on Tuesday evening: 'I am deeply concerned by the events in Kashmir tonight and urge calm and dialogue to avoid further conflict.' Ms Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, warned the 'world cannot stand by' as the conflict spirals and the risk of harm to civilians in the region increases. 'Deeply concerning to see military air strikes in Jammu Kashmir tonight by the Indian Government,' she said. 'Restraint by all concerned must be sought and secured.' Lord Ahmad, who served as South Asia minister under the previous Conservative administration, said the missile strikes were an 'alarming escalation'. 'The potential of a war tonight is real – we need urgent international engagement to prevent a widening of this conflict which carries serious implications not just for the region but for the wider world,' he said. MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana, who sits as an Independent following her suspension from Labour after she voted to back scrapping the two-child benefit cap, accused New Delhi of violating international law. She said in a post on social media: 'I condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam — but no conclusive evidence has been presented linking Pakistan. 'India's unprovoked strike on Pakistan is a violation of international law. With both being nuclear powers, this is reckless & a grave threat to regional peace.' The missiles hit six locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country's eastern Punjab province, said Pakistan's military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif. The Indian army said three civilians were killed when Pakistani troops 'resorted to arbitrary firing', including gunfire and artillery shelling, across the Line of Control and their international border. It said it was 'responding in a proportionate manner'. Shortly after India's strikes, aircraft fell in two villages in India-controlled Kashmir. State-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said the country's air force shot down five Indian jets in retaliation but provided no additional detail. There was no immediate comment from India about Pakistan's claim. Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Indian forces had launched the strikes from inside Indian airspace. United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late on Tuesday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for maximum military restraint from both countries. 'The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,' the statement read.
