A ceasefire aimed at ending the conflict between India and Pakistan was disrupted by overnight border fighting in the disputed Kashmir region, Arab News reported. Residents on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the territory, reported heavy exchanges of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops. The fighting eventually subsided by Sunday morning.
The ceasefire had been agreed upon just a day earlier after talks intended to defuse the most serious military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in decades. The escalation followed a deadly gun massacre of tourists that India blames on Pakistan, a charge Pakistan denies. Under the ceasefire agreement, both countries pledged to immediately stop all firing and military actions on land, in the air, and at sea. However, each side accused the other of repeatedly violating the deal within hours of its implementation.
Indian officials reported drone activity over Indian-controlled Kashmir and the western state of Gujarat on Saturday night. In the Poonch district of Indian-controlled Kashmir, residents described the recent shelling as traumatic.
In Pakistan-controlled Kashmir’s Neelum Valley, close to the LoC, residents also reported exchanges of fire and heavy shelling after the ceasefire began.
US President Donald Trump was the first to announce the ceasefire on his Truth Social platform, with Indian and Pakistani officials confirming the news shortly afterward. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on Sunday with senior government and military officials. India has not publicly acknowledged any US role beyond military contacts with Pakistan.
Both armies have engaged in daily fighting since Wednesday along the rugged, mountainous LoC, which is lined with razor wire, watchtowers, and bunkers. Each side blames the other for initiating skirmishes, insisting their actions are retaliatory. India and Pakistan’s top military officials are scheduled to speak again on Monday to address the ongoing tensions.
