Indian Troops Fired on Pakistani Soldiers Near Kashmir: Indian Officials

Indian and Pakistani military forces exchanged gunfire across their Line of Control (LoC), which separates their contested Kashmir territory, Indian defense officials reported Saturday, the newest upswing in their longstanding, low-level conflict between two nuclear powers.

Firing took place late last night along the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, where Pakistani forces initiated indiscriminate firing on Indian forward posts, an official release issued by the Indian Army reported. The Indian side retaliated "strongly and effectively," it said. There were no casualties on the Indian side at the time.

We have seen movement and firing from across the LoC. We appropriately responded to silence the Pakistan outposts," a top commander based in Jammu said, requesting anonymity due to military protocols. "The area is now secure, but we remain on guard."

Pakistani authorities have so far refused to make any public comments on the incident. However, similar cross-border firing episodes are normally followed by both sides trading accusations of ceasefire violations. The two countries also consistently blame one another for initiating hostilities along the highly militarized LoC, which is a point of contention since British India was partitioned in 1947.

Kashmir, which is a Himalayan land coveted by Pakistan and India but occupied partially by both, has been the site of two out of the three wars between Pakistan and India. Even though there was an announcement of a February 2021 ceasefire after several episodes of fighting, the last several months have seen escalated local fighting and attempts at cross-border infiltration.

Security officials claim that the fragile ceasefire is being faced by local militant groups and increasing political pressure. "Whenever there is an increased infiltration or influx of militants entering, these types of events are more probable," said Ajai Sahni, executive director at India-based Institute for Conflict Management. "These outbursts tend to reflect both local-level tactical issues and deeper geopolitics that are contending against one another."

People residing along the LoC in the Poonch region reported hearing intense firing and mortar shelling throughout the night. "We would seek shelter within our homes and switched off the lights," said Shakeela Bano, a villager along the LoC. "We always fear whenever this happens. It reminds us of the past where shelling used to happen regularly."

The new confrontation arises amid escalated security in the Jammu and Kashmir region following a string of targeted attacks within the area and ahead of local elections. Intelligence and military deployment have been increased by the government of India, especially along the border areas.

Despite last week's incident, no sign of any increased military buildup or deployment along the border was seen. Nevertheless, pundits are warning that renewed ceasefire breaches undermine the gains of the new diplomacy.

India and Pakistan both affirm that they remain committed to regional peace and stability but events like the exchange on Friday are a source of new worry about how unstable the ground situation actually is.

Foreign observers, from the United Nations among others, have repeatedly requested both countries to use restraint and settle their disputes at the negotiating table. But unless trust between Islamabad and New Delhi returns to where it used to be, hope for an overall process of peace remains questionable. Indian officials to this point have reported that there is vigilance being kept along the border and everything that can be done is being done for the security of civilian and military installations. The area remains tense however, and people and officials alike are waiting to determine if the mood will intensify or revert to the taut calm that has been characteristic along the LoC for decades.