India has suspended its ceasefire agreement with Pakistan along the Line of Control in Kashmir after what Indian officials described as the deadliest cross-border attack in years — a coordinated assault that killed 11 Indian soldiers and injured 27 others near the Poonch sector.
India’s defence ministry said the attack was carried out by heavily armed infiltrators who crossed the Line of Control using tunnels and night-vision equipment. Indian officials described it as a “premeditated, state-sponsored act of terror” and held Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the ISI, directly responsible for planning and executing the assault.
Pakistan has denied any involvement, calling the allegations “baseless and irresponsible.” Islamabad said it had nothing to gain from escalating tensions and urged India to resolve the dispute through dialogue. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it was “ready for a transparent, international investigation” into the incident.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened an emergency cabinet meeting and announced the suspension of the 2021 ceasefire agreement — the first formal ceasefire pact between the two countries since 2003. India’s army chief said Indian forces would “respond with full force to any provocation” along the LoC.
India has deployed additional troops along the Line of Control and moved artillery units into forward positions. Pakistan has responded by mobilising its own forces in the region. Both countries have placed their air forces on high alert, raising fears of a broader military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
The United Nations called for “maximum restraint” from both sides, with the Secretary-General’s spokesperson warning that “any escalation between India and Pakistan carries catastrophic risks.” China, a close ally of Pakistan, urged India to “avoid unilateral actions that could destabilise the region.” The US State Department said it was “deeply concerned” and called on both countries to de-escalate through dialogue.
Residents along the Line of Control in Indian-administered Kashmir have begun evacuating border villages, with local authorities setting up temporary shelters. Schools in the Poonch and Rajouri districts have been closed indefinitely. Pakistan-administered Kashmir has also reported civilian casualties from cross-border shelling, though independent verification has not been possible.
Indian officials said the ceasefire suspension was indefinite. Pakistan’s military said it would “take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty” and accused India of using the attack as a pretext for military aggression.
The attack has reignited debate in India about the effectiveness of the 2021 ceasefire agreement, which was seen as a major diplomatic breakthrough at the time. Opposition leaders have accused the Modi government of being “asleep at the wheel” while Pakistan built up its infiltration capabilities along the LoC. The ruling BJP has dismissed the criticism as “politically motivated.”
International observers have expressed alarm at the speed of the escalation. Former US diplomat Michael Kugelman, now at the Wilson Center, said the suspension of the ceasefire was “the most dangerous moment in India-Pakistan relations since the 2019 Balakot crisis” and warned that “the window for diplomacy is closing rapidly.”
The Indian rupee fell 0.8% against the US dollar on the news, while Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index dropped 3.2% in early trading. Global oil prices rose modestly as traders priced in the risk of a broader South Asian conflict disrupting shipping lanes in the Arabian Sea.
Sources: Reuters, AP, Dawn, The Hindu, BBC, Al Jazeera.