India and Pakistan Maintain Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Tensions
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed his country’s readiness to respond to any future terrorist attacks, following four days of intense military exchanges with Pakistan. This statement came during his first public address since the escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Modi emphasized that while the world is not in an era of war, it is also not in an era of terror. His remarks followed a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that resulted in 26 fatalities, an incident India attributed to a Pakistan-based group. Pakistan has denied providing support to the group in question.
The US-brokered ceasefire, which was agreed upon at the weekend, has so far held. Both nations have expressed a commitment to maintaining vigilance and avoiding further escalation.
Modi’s address also included a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments, in which he stated that trade with India and Pakistan would only be possible if they resolved their conflict. Modi responded by saying, ‘Terror and trade talks cannot happen together.’ He also mentioned the suspension of a water treaty between the two countries, stating, ‘Water and blood cannot flow together.’
These comments were made in the wake of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assertion that his country had acted responsibly. Sharif expressed that his nation’s honor, dignity, and self-respect were more important than its lives. He also indicated that the water issue would be resolved through peaceful negotiations.
Earlier on Monday, top military officials from India and Pakistan engaged in discussions to finalize the details of the ceasefire. Both sides agreed to refrain from any aggressive actions and to take immediate steps to reduce troop presence from the borders and forward areas.
India also announced the reopening of 32 airports for civilian use, which had been closed earlier due to safety concerns. The recent tensions mark the latest in the decades-long rivalry between India and Pakistan, who have fought two wars over Kashmir, a region they both claim in full but administer in part.
The hostilities threatened to escalate into a full-scale war as both nations were unwilling to back down for days. Reports indicate that dozens of people from both sides were killed over the four days of fighting, largely due to heavy shelling near the de facto border.
Both countries declared military victory after the ceasefire took effect. On May 7, India reported striking nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in response to a deadly attack in the Pahalgam valley on April 22. In the days that followed, India and Pakistan accused each other of cross-border shelling and claimed to have shot down rival drones and aircraft in their airspace.
As the conflict escalated, both nations claimed to have targeted the other’s military bases. Indian officials reported striking 11 Pakistan Air Force bases, including one in Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad. India also claimed Pakistan lost 35-40 men at the Line of Control and that its air force lost a few aircraft. Pakistan has accepted that some Indian projectiles landed at its air force bases.
Indian defense forces also stated that they struck nine armed group training facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing more than 100 militants. The Pakistan military, in turn, claims it targeted about 26 military facilities in India and that its drones hovered over the capital, Delhi.
India has confirmed that some Pakistani projectiles landed at its air force bases, though it did not comment on the claim about Delhi. Pakistan also claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, including three French Rafales. India has not acknowledged this or commented on the number, though it said on Sunday that ‘losses are a part of combat.’
Pakistan denied the claims that an Indian pilot was in its custody after she ejected following an aircraft crash. India has also said that ‘all our pilots are back home.’