For 72 hours, the world held its breath as two nuclear-armed neighbours exchanged missile strikes, drone attacks, and aerial combat in what experts called the most dangerous military escalation on the subcontinent since the 1999 Kargil War.
A US-mediated ceasefire has held. But the situation remains deeply fragile.
The Trigger
The escalation began with a terrorist attack on a crowded tourist area in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 28 civilians including several foreign nationals. India blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a claim Pakistan denied.
The Military Exchange
- Indian Air Force conducted strikes at 9 sites in Pakistan and PoK
- Pakistan Air Force responded with strikes on three Indian forward airbases
- Two PAF jets were shot down; India lost one aircraft (pilot ejected safely)
- Both sides deployed loitering munitions extensively — the first large-scale drone combat between two South Asian militaries
- No nuclear posturing was observed on either side
The Ceasefire
US Secretary of State and the UN Secretary-General both made calls in the crucial 48-hour window. UAE and Saudi Arabia also applied pressure.
The agreement:
- Immediate halt to all military action across the Line of Control
- Restoration of hotlines between DGMOs of both armies
- Agreement to discuss terrorism through backchannel diplomatic talks
Where Things Stand
- 100,000 civilians remain displaced from LoC villages in J&K
- Pakistan’s currency fell 12% since the crisis began
- India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty
- The Kartarpur Corridor and Samjhauta Express remain suspended
South Asia is not at war. But it is not at peace either.