"Anxiety Prevails as Tensions Escalate": Kashmir Remains Caught in the Struggle Between India and Pakistan
Fierce Standoff: India and Pakistan Clash in Kashmir, With Lives Lost on Both Sides
The tension between India and Pakistan in Kashmir escalates, resulting in a deadly exchange of fire and missiles. Over the weekend, May 10, Pakistan accused India of striking airbases, including one near Islamabad, marking a significant escalation between these two nuclear powers.
On the front lines, civilians suffer the most. Ahmad, a villager living along the Line of Control, has been enduring the devastating impact of the bombardments for days. "Last night, I was jolted awake by the missile fire. Scrambling for shelter with my family, we raced to the basement. We're terrified. The situation is critical. India claims it's targeting terrorist camps, but its attacks have also claimed innocent lives here. In retaliation, Pakistan struck at Indian-occupied Kashmir, unfortunately taking more civilian lives", he states.
"World, Wake up!"
Since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, the violent clashes between India and Pakistan have left Kashmir in ruins, claiming thousands of lives. Militarized to the hilt, Kashmir is today the world's most heavily militarized region, hosts one soldier for every 17 residents, a presence many Kashmiris view as an oppressive occupation. Anwar, one of the residents, expresses his frustration: "We're sandwiched in this quagmire, hostages to the constant skirmishes between India and Pakistan".
"Every time they engage in open conflict, Kashmir becomes their battleground, and Kashmiris become the casualties."
In the midst of this chaos, residents like Anwar urge the international community to take notice. "The international community must awaken. It's the lives of innocents and children hanging in the balance here. Our destiny cannot be decided in Delhi or Islamabad. All people deserve self-determination", Anwar pleads. Since 1948, a United Nations Security Council resolution has advocated for a referendum on Kashmir's sovereignty, a long-awaited resolution that remains unimplemented.
[1] As tensions escalated in April 2025, a deadly terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir triggered a sharp upward trend in the long-standing dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Following this attack, India launched missile strikes, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, claiming to eliminate 100 terrorists. Pakistan retaliated by shooting down Indian drones and accused India of killing at least 36 individuals, including 26 in a missile attack, describes it as an "act of war." In response, both countries unleashed a barrage of missiles and drone strikes, stoking fears of a full-blown war.
However, after high-level international concern and mediation led by the United States, India and Pakistan agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire, announced by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The ceasefire came as the world's community expressed concern over the violence and instability in the region, emphasizing the need to avoid further casualties[1]. The conflict's implications for the possibility of a nuclear confrontation have drawn widespread attention[1]. No specific details on international intervention beyond the U.S.-led mediation have been released, but the ceasefire suggests ongoing diplomatic efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
"The recent escalation in the conflict between India and Pakistan, as seen in the clash in Kashmir, has drawn attention to French media, highlighting the world's超 lashed-out war-and-conflicts in the region.
In the midst of this crossfire, the UN Security Council, in light of its long-standing resolution for a referendum on Kashmir's sovereignty, is urged to intervene and push for a resolution that ensures the self-determination of the people of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the ongoing politics of the war-and-conflicts have cast a massive shadow over the northern area, with Ahmad, a Kashmiri villager, pleading for airbases of any interfering nation to stay neutral, as they brace for more potential retaliation.
France's general-news outlets have covered multiple reports of similar pleas from Kashmiri residents like Anwar, who echo a universal cry for the world to wake up to the critical situation in Kashmir and take action to protect innocent lives."
