Pahalgam terror attack: Pakistan violates ceasefire for 10th night in row
The Indian army said it responded to Pakistan's ceasefire violations “promptly and proportionately.”
The Indian Army said on Sunday that Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control for the 10th consecutive night. Unprovoked small arms fire was reported across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajauri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. The army said it responded to the violations “promptly and proportionately.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, at a meadow near Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
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India has taken several punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, stalling imports and banning Pakistani ships from Indian ports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed that India would bring those responsible for the attack to justice.
The latest ceasefire violation came a day after the Pakistani military test-fired the Abdali ballistic missile weapon system amid tensions with India. The Pakistan military said the missile launch was part of “Exercise INDUS.”
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The nuclear-armed neighbour had threatened that any threat to stop the flow of water would be considered an “act of war.”
Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali told AP that the missile named after a prominent Muslim conqueror from the medieval age underlined its symbolism. “The timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,” he noted.
Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Ministry of External Affairs, noted the enormous international sympathy for India. “I don’t believe anybody in India wants a full-fledged war. Even so, there is domestic pressure and diplomatic space for a sharp, targeted, and limited response,” Malik told AP.
India on Saturday banned Pakistani-flagged ships from entering Indian ports and prohibited Indian-flagged vessels from visiting ports in Pakistan.
“A ship bearing the flag of Pakistan shall not be allowed to visit any Indian port, and an Indian-flagged ship shall not visit any ports of Pakistan,” the order states.
The order will remain in force until further notice, as part of efforts to bolster security and ensure the smooth functioning of India's maritime interests.
