Srinagar: India confirmed on Monday that it had responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire from Pakistan along the de facto border, marking the fourth consecutive night of tensions as it intensifies its search for militants following the deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir last week.
The attack, which occurred on April 22, killed 26 people, and India has identified two of the three suspected militants as Pakistani nationals. However, Islamabad has denied any involvement, calling for a neutral investigation into the incident.
According to security officials and survivors, the militants separated the men at the site, a meadow in the Pahalgam area, asking for their names before specifically targeting Hindus and shooting them at close range. This horrific attack has triggered widespread outrage in Hindu-majority India, with many calling for decisive action against Pakistan, which New Delhi accuses of funding and fostering terrorism in the disputed Kashmir region. Both India and Pakistan claim the region and have fought two wars over it.
In response to the ongoing crisis, both nations have introduced various retaliatory measures. India has suspended the critical Indus Waters Treaty, while Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
After the April 22 attack that killed 26 people in Kashmir, China has said, ‘As a common neighbor of both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan will exercise restraint and meet each other halfway.’ https://t.co/FWgBvAkJHg pic.twitter.com/ohortyQ8oI
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 28, 2025
China, a significant player in regional geopolitics, expressed concern on Monday, urging both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint. Beijing welcomed any measures that would help de-escalate tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.
The Indian Army stated it responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire originating from multiple Pakistan Army posts around midnight on Sunday along the 740-km (460-mile) de facto border separating Indian- and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. The army provided no further details, and there were no reported casualties. The Pakistani military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a separate development, the Pakistan Army announced it had killed 71 Islamist militants attempting to infiltrate from Afghanistan over the past three days.
PEOPLE DETAINED
Since the attack, India’s defense forces have conducted several military exercises across the country. While some of these exercises are routine preparedness drills, they are also part of a broader effort to tighten security in the region.
In addition to the military measures, security forces have detained around 500 individuals for questioning, following searches of nearly 1,000 homes and forests in the hunt for militants in Indian Kashmir, according to a local police official speaking to Reuters. At least nine homes have been demolished in the process.
Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have urged caution in handling the situation to avoid harming innocent civilians during the ongoing anti-terrorism operations. The attack has been described as the deadliest of its kind in India in nearly two decades.
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“This is the first time in 26 years that I have seen people coming out in this way… to say we are not with this attack,” said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the legislature. “It (militancy) will finish when people are with us, and today it seems like people are getting there.”
Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, later denied involvement in the attack. This came after an initial post on social media claiming responsibility. The group, which a Delhi-based think tank considers an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, attributed the earlier claim to a “cyber intrusion”.
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Villagers living near the border in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, however, expressed little concern about the exchange of fire between the two militaries. “We have grown up in a war-like situation, so fear does not exist in our lexicon,” said Shaukat Awan, a social activist from Lanjot near the border. In Keran, a border village, tourists continued to visit the riverside area. “We have brought a message of love here. People of Kashmir are cheerful and loving. Despite tensions, there is no fear,” said Raza Naqvi, a tourist from Sind province.
