Clashes intensify between India and Pakistan; Over a thousand Koranic schools shut down in Kashmir region
Tensions between India and Pakistan soar after deadly Kashmir attack
In the wake of the heinous attack that claimed 26 lives in Kashmir, both nations exchanged gunfire again on May 1st, in this disputed region. For the seventh consecutive night, their soldiers stationed along the 770 km long Line of Control opened fire, reports the Indian army. On a contrasting note, Pakistan reported taking down two Indian surveillance drones that entered its airspace in Kashmir over the past 24 hours.
This back-and-forth marks a significant spike in hostilities, as India decided to bar Pakistani aircraft from their airspace on April 30, responding to an earlier decision by Pakistan on April 24. Pakistani schools in Kashmir will be closed for ten days, as per Hafiz Nazeer Ahmed, director of the local religious affairs department, who shared this information with AFP: "Schools and madrassas in Kashmir will be closed for the next ten days"
New Delhi blames Pakistan for the April 22 attack, which remains unacknowledged, while Pakistan denies any involvement. Amidst this, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has facilitated "retaliatory actions", causing concerns of further escalation. As Pakistan braces for an imminent Indian strike, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has "pushed for joint efforts" between the two nations to calm tensions and ensure peace and stability in South Asia.
With Pakistan anticipating Indian reprisals, the U.S. Secretary of State has made phone calls to both Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, stressing the need for restraint. The U.S. State Department is actively engaging with both nations to avert military escalation. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed "deep concern" over the increasing tension and encouraged dialogue between the two nations.
The international community is closely monitoring this volatile situation, as the two nuclear-armed adversaries are at their most tense state in years. Efforts are underway to prevent any potential conflict.
Drone strikes have been reported by Pakistan as Indian surveillance drones were allegedly brought down within their airspace in Kashmir. The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has urged for joint efforts between India and Pakistan to defuse war-and-conflicts and ensure politics in South Asia don't escalate further. Amidst expectations of Indian reprisals, diplomatic conversations are ongoing to close the path towards war-and-conflicts; the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has encouraged dialogue to defuse the tension, marking a critical moment in the complex relations between these two nations, teetering on the brink of war-and-conflicts.
