Latest news with #militarytension
Arab News
3 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, senior Pakistani general says
SINGAPORE: 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-administered 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 defense and the office of the Indian chief of defense 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 toward 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. '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. New Delhi blames Pakistan for an insurgency in India-administered 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.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' if there were new attacks on India. (EPA Images pic) SINGAPORE : 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 today, 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. '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 powers…in 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 spokesman said yesterday '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.
Reuters
3 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.
Japan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Pakistan and India shift to war of words after shooting stops
Although the air strikes and artillery fire between India and Pakistan have mostly fallen silent, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took aim at his counterpart over the border on Wednesday, accusing Narendra Modi of fanning instability and vowing a harsh response to future attacks. Sharif spoke at a gathering of soldiers near the border, two days after Modi pledged in a speech to neutralize terrorist camps in Pakistan, calling its May 7 strikes inside Pakistan territory as a "new normal' response. "Mr. Modi, if you take this route again, you will get a devastating answer,' Sharif said. "If you attack us, you'll lose whatever you have.' The two South Asian nuclear powers have agreed to a ceasefire after their most serious military confrontation in half a century. Tit-for-tat strikes followed India's operations after militants killed 26 people in the disputed Kashmir region. India has accused Pakistan of involvement, which Islamabad denies. Sharif said Pakistan's response to India's strikes has diminished Modi's sense of regional "hegemony' and proved his nation's capability to fight a conventional war. Both countries have claimed their offensive and defensive efforts were successful. Pakistan has said, for instance, that it downed five Indian fighter jets, including three French-made Rafales. India hasn't confirmed the claim, but issued a statement Wednesday detailing its military operations successful. "We are ready for peace and war. Choice is yours,' Pakistan's Sharif said. "Don't ignite fire. Let it be extinguished. Make this region a home of peace.' India and Pakistan have a history of bitter relations over the disputed land of Jammu and Kashmir, which they both rule in part but claim in full. The neighbors have fought two wars over it since 1947 and accused each other of sponsoring militancy.
Arab News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan says committed to ceasefire after Modi warns of more strikes
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad said on Tuesday it was committed to a recent ceasefire deal with New Delhi and taking necessary steps toward de-escalation, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned he would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border if there were fresh attacks on India. Modi, who also said India would not be deterred by what he called Islamabad's 'nuclear blackmail,' was speaking two days after the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to a ceasefire, reached after four days of intense exchanges of fire as the old enemies targeted each other's military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians. The military confrontation began on Wednesday, when India said it launched strikes on nine 'terrorist infrastructure' sites in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, with Pakistan retaliating by downing five Indian fighter jets. The escalation was triggered by tensions over an attack on Hindu tourists by militants in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi has said Pakistan was involved in. Islamabad has denied any links to the attack and called for a neutral investigation. In a statement released by the foreign office, Pakistan rejected the 'provocative and inflammatory assertions' made by Modi, saying they signaled a 'dangerous escalation rooted in misinformation, political opportunism, and a blatant disregard for international law.' 'This statement also reflects a propensity to fabricate misleading narratives to justify aggression,' the foreign office said. 'Pakistan remains committed to the recent ceasefire understanding and taking necessary steps toward de-escalation and regional stability.' The FO said the ceasefire was achieved through the mediation of several friendly countries and the portrayal of Pakistan as seeking a ceasefire in 'despair and frustration is yet another blatant lie.' On Tuesday morning, the Pakistan army put out figures for deaths in the latest confrontation, saying 11 armed forces personnel and 41 civilians, including women and children, had been killed. 'Indian actions set a dangerous precedent for aggression, dragging the entire region to the brink of disaster. This reflects the mindset of a revisionist actor that seeks to upend strategic stability in South Asia without regard for consequences,' the foreign office added. 'Moreover, India is justifying the cold-blooded murder of innocent civilians, mostly women and children, as well as its highly irresponsible brinkmanship as the new normal for the region. 'Make no mistake, we will closely monitor India's actions and behavior in this regard in the coming days. We also urge the international community to do the same.' The statement ended by saying any future aggression would be met with 'full resolve' and called on India to prioritize regional stability and the well-being of its citizens 'over narrow, politically motivated jingoism.' Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Both nations are nuclear-armed, raising global alarm every time an armed conflict breaks out between them. 'If there is a terrorist attack on India, a fitting reply will be given... on our terms,' Modi had said in Monday's speech in Hindi in a televised address. 'In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan... what kind of attitude Pakistan will adopt.' 'India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail,' he said, and listed New Delhi's conditions for holding talks with Islamabad and lifting curbs imposed after the Kashmir attack. 'India's position is clear: terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together and water and blood cannot flow together,' he said, referring to a water sharing pact between the two countries New Delhi unilaterally suspended after the April 22 militant attack. - With inputs from Reuters
