Intense artillery exchanges occur between Indian and Pakistani military forces.

Headline: Indian-Pakistan Standoff escalates,Claiming Lives and Raising Fears of Wider Confrontation

Subhead: A Breakdown of the Mounting Tensions in Kashmir

Fire and Fury Across Kashmir: Heavy artillery duels and gunfire rocked the Indian-Pakistani border in Kashmir throughout the night, claiming the lives of at least nine civilians—four in Pakistan and five in India. The chaos spilled into the following day, sending shivers down the spines of border-dwelling families and making the already-fractured region even more unstable.

In Pakistan, the night was marred by unusually intense artillery exchanges, resulting in the deaths of at least four civilians and injuries to 12 others in areas near the Line of Control (LoC). The firing persisted well into Friday morning, reported local police official Adeel Ahmad. Residents living near the frontier in Chakothi sector described an uncharacteristically tense atmosphere, with Mohammad Shakil stating, "Last night was different."

Indian military officials confirmed that their posts were bombarded with artillery, mortars, and gunfire from Pakistani forces at multiple locations in Indian-controlled Kashmir. In response, Indian soldiers retaliated, leading to fierce exchanges that continued until early morning. As a result of these clashes, two civilians were killed, and four others were injured in Uri and Poonch sectors, raising the civilian death toll in Indian-controlled Kashmir to 18 since April 23. Pakistan stated that Indian mortar and artillery fire had killed 17 civilians in Pakistan-administered Kashmir during the same timeframe.

Competing Accusations and Allegations: Amidst soaring tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals, the relationship has deteriorated further, with each nation accusing the other of supporting terrorists. The current standoff began following a devastating attack on a popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir on April 22, which took the lives of 26 civilians, primarily Hindu Indian tourists. New Delhi placed the blame firmly on Pakistan for backing the attack, an allegation Islamabad vehemently denies.

The heated exchanges intensified on Wednesday, April 24, when India conducted airstrikes on several alleged militant sites within Pakistani territory. The attacks resulted in 31 reported civilian casualties, along with the loss of five Indian fighter jets, according to Pakistani officials. In response, Pakistan claimed to have shot down the Indian jets and downed two helicopters[1].

Threats continued to escalate on April 25, as India alleged it thwarted Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets in more than a dozen cities and towns, including Jammu city in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan denied conducting drone attacks. Similarly, India claimed that it struck Pakistan's air defense systems and radars close to the city of Lahore. However, these incidents remain unverified[2].

Moreover, on April 26, India ordered the social media platform X to block users in the country from accessing more than 8,000 accounts, including those of "international news organizations and other prominent users." While X withheld the list of accounts being blocked, it warned that the order "amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and threatens the fundamental right of free speech." Later, X briefly blocked access to the Global Affairs Account, which had initially released the statement[3].

Disrupted Lives and Industry: The escalating crisis in Kashmir has sent ripples across other aspects of life and industry in the region. For instance, India's biggest domestic cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, temporarily suspended operations for a week. In addition, Pakistan moved its own domestic tournament to the United Arab Emirates due to the growing tensions[4].

Panic surfaced during an evening cricket match in northern Dharamsala city, where over 10,000 spectators had to be evacuated from the stadium and the game called off[4]. Several northern and western Indian states, such as Punjab, Rajasthan, and Indian-controlled Kashmir, shut schools and other educational institutions for two days, fearing potential attacks[2].

Airlines in India suspended flight operations from twenty-four airports across northern and western regions. India's Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed the temporary closure of these airports in a statement[4]. The unrest also affected Indian stock markets, with the benchmark Sensex plummeting 662 points and the Nifty 50 falling by 215 points[4].

A Distanced Approach from the US: As fears of military confrontation rage, and concerned world leaders call for de-escalation, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that a potential war between India and Pakistan would be "none of our business." Vance added that while the United States could encourage a mutual reduction in aggression, it has no intention of getting involved in a conflict that is fundamentally outside of their control[4].

[1] AP. (2025). Indian shelling kills 5 civilians in Pakistani border region, Pakistani officials say. Associated Press.

[2] AP. (2025). Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, number of civilian casualties increases. Associated Press.

[3] Saaliq, Adil, Roy, Bhupendra, Ahmed, Saif, Mughal, Roshan, & Hussain, Asif. (2025). Social media platform X ordered to block users in India, including prominent account. Associated Press.

[4] Mohammad, Hassan. (2025). Kashmir crisis disrupts daily lives, travel, school and industry. Associated Press.

Further Reading:

India and Pakistan trade fire and accusations as fears of a wider military confrontation rise
India fires missiles on Pakistan; Islamabad calls it an 'act of war'
Pakistan test-fires ballistic missile as tensions with India surge after Kashmir massacre

The escalating India-Pakistan standoff in Kashmir, fueled by artillery duels and gunfire, has resulted in a rise in civilian casualties.
On the Indian side, at least five civilians have been killed in the Uri and Poonch sectors, adding to the total of 18 civilian deaths since April 23.
In Pakistan, four civilians have been killed, and 12 injured in areas near the Line of Control, due to the intense artillery exchanges.
Amidst these tensions, both countries continue to accuse each other of supporting terrorists, with Pakistan denying support for the attack on the popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir.
As the crisis continues, the Indian Premier League cricket tournament has been temporarily suspended for a week, with schools and other educational institutions also shut down in fear of potential attacks.
Airlines in India have suspended flight operations from 24 airports across northern and western regions, and the unrest has affected Indian stock markets, causing a plummet in the benchmark Sensex and Nifty 50 indices.
The US has taken a distanced approach, with Vice President JD Vance stating that a potential war between India and Pakistan is "none of our business."
Despite concerns from international leaders, the ongoing conflict in Kashmir, characterized by fire and fury, raises fears of a wider military confrontation in war-and-conflicts news.