Srinagar, April 25, 2025 – A brief exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops was reported late Thursday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, heightening tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors amid a spiraling diplomatic standoff.
Indian army officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Pakistani soldiers used small arms to target an Indian military post, prompting retaliation. No casualties were reported in the exchange.
The incident follows a deadly attack on Tuesday near the tourist town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 civilians. India labeled the massacre a “terror attack” with “cross-border” links and accused Pakistan of backing the assault. A previously unknown militant outfit, calling itself the Kashmir Resistance, has claimed responsibility. Pakistan has denied involvement.
In Islamabad, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan refrained from commenting on the reported gunfire, saying a formal military confirmation was pending. He added that no international mediation efforts had yet been initiated.
The United Nations weighed in on Friday, urging both India and Pakistan to “exercise maximum restraint” and prevent further deterioration of the situation. “Any issues between Pakistan and India should be resolved peacefully, through meaningful, mutual engagement,” the UN statement read.
In the wake of the attack, India launched a series of diplomatic measures targeting Pakistan. These included suspending the Indus Waters Treaty—long seen as a stabilizing agreement despite decades of hostility—shutting down the only operational land border crossing, and revoking all visas issued to Pakistani nationals.
Pakistan responded by canceling visas for Indian citizens, shutting its airspace to Indian-operated flights, and halting all trade with India, including via third countries. It also issued a strong warning that any Indian move to divert water would be deemed an “act of war,” vowing a full-spectrum response.
The massacre near Pahalgam is the deadliest civilian assault in Kashmir in years. The region, long a flashpoint between the two nations, has witnessed a decades-long insurgency that India attributes to Pakistani support. Islamabad denies these allegations, while many Muslim residents in Kashmir see the struggle as a homegrown fight for self-determination.