Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire across the highly militarised de facto border in Kashmir overnight, the Indian military said on Saturday, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continue to rise after a terror attack on tourists.
In a statement, India’s army said soldiers from multiple Pakistani army posts opened fire “all across the Line of Control” during the night.
“Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms,” the army said, claiming the firing was “unprovoked”. No casualties were reported.
It marked the second consecutive night of border skirmishes. On Friday, Indian officials said Pakistani soldiers had fired at an Indian post in the Gurez sector.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan, and the incidents could not be independently verified. Cross-border fire has in the past been a regular occurrence in Kashmir, with each side often blaming the other for triggering hostilities, though what’s known as the Line of Control has been relatively quiet in recent years following a 2021 ceasefire agreement.
The spike in tensions follows a brutal terror attack on Tuesday in which unidentified gunmen opened fire near the resort town of Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir, killing 26 people, most of them Indian tourists. India has accused Pakistan of backing the assault – a charge Islamabad denies.
A previously unknown group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, although there remains uncertainty over the authenticity of that claim.
Fallout from the attack has been swift. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty – a longstanding water-sharing agreement – and closed the only operational land border crossing with Pakistan. It also revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals with effect from Sunday.
Pakistan responded by cancelling visas issued to Indians, closing its airspace to Indian-owned or operated airlines, and suspending bilateral trade. Nationals from both countries began returning home via the Wagah border on Friday.
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Islamabad has warned that any attempt by India to block or divert the Indus River waters would be treated as an “act of war,” raising fears of water insecurity at a time when parts of Pakistan are already struggling with drought and declining rainfall.
“Pakistan is fully prepared to confront any Indian aggression,” Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar said in a televised statement on Friday.
Meanwhile, Iran offered to mediate between the two sides, with Iranian foreign minister Syed Abbas Araghchi saying: “Tehran stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and Delhi to forge greater understanding at this difficult time.”
“India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbours of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilisational ties,” Mr Araghchi wrote in a social media post.
US president Donald Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on Friday, said “there’s great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been,” and declined to say whether he would personally engage with either side.
“They’ll get it figured out one way or the other,” he said.
US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard expressed solidarity with India, posting: “We are with you and support you as you hunt down those responsible for this heinous attack.”
Senior diplomats from Saudi Arabia and Iran have reportedly spoken to Pakistani officials in recent days to discuss the escalating situation. India, meanwhile, has briefed envoys from G20 nations and Gulf countries about the attack and the actions it has taken.
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since their independence in 1947. The region is divided between the two countries but claimed by both in full.
