SRINAGAR, India — A fierce exchange of artillery and gunfire erupted between Indian and Pakistani soldiers across the contested Kashmir border, resulting in the deaths of at least five civilians. This escalation comes as tensions rise following a recent attack on tourists in the Indian-administered region.
Local authorities in Pakistan reported that at least four civilians were killed and twelve others injured during the nighttime shelling near the Line of Control, which divides Indian and Pakistani-held territories in Kashmir. Residents in border areas described a night filled with intense violence, saying the gunfire persisted into Friday morning. “We are accustomed to occasional skirmishes, but what we experienced last night was unprecedented,” said Mohammad Shakil, a resident near the frontier.
On the Indian side, military officials indicated that Pakistani forces launched a barrage of artillery and gunfire aimed at multiple posts throughout the night. Indian troops responded, triggering a fierce exchange that lasted until dawn. A woman was reported killed, and two others injured in the Uri sector, pushing the civilian death toll in India to at least 17 since an outbreak of violence began earlier in the week.
The recent military confrontation follows a deadly attack on a tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir that left 26 civilians dead, mostly Hindu Indian tourists. New Delhi has accused Islamabad of supporting the assailants, an allegation that Pakistan has categorically denied. In a show of force, India conducted airstrikes on locations it described as militant strongholds within Pakistani territory, which officials there claimed resulted in 31 civilian deaths. This has prompted claims from Pakistan that it shot down five Indian fighter jets.
The situation escalated further as both nations reported drone strikes, with each side denying the other’s claims. These incidents remain unverified and underscore the deeply rooted mistrust between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
In a separate development, the Indian government ordered the social media platform X to restrict access to over 8,000 accounts, including those of several international news outlets. This move was criticized as a significant threat to free speech, with X stating that it contradicts the right to freely share information.
The heightened tensions have also disrupted daily life in the region. Panic ensued during a cricket match in Dharamsala, where over 10,000 attendees had to be evacuated amid fears of violence, leading to the cancellation of the event. Educational institutions across several northern and western Indian states, including Indian-administered Kashmir, have been closed for two days as a precautionary measure. Furthermore, flight operations from two dozen airports have been temporarily suspended due to security concerns, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.
The turmoil has rattled the stock market as well, with the benchmark Sensex index plummeting by 662 points, a reflection of growing unease among investors.
Amid the international community’s calls for de-escalation, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that any potential conflict between India and Pakistan would not be an American concern. “While we can encourage dialogue to reduce tensions, we will not intervene in a conflict that is fundamentally not our issue,” he told Fox News.
As the situation in Kashmir evolves, the impact on civilians continues to be profound, with fears that further escalation could lead to widespread instability in the region.