Tensions between India and Pakistan flared into open conflict in late April and early May 2025. The crisis was triggered by a militant attack on tourists in Kashmir on 22 April, when gunmen killed 26 people (25 Indian and one Nepali) in Pahalgam. India blamed Pakistan-linked militants for the attack (which Pakistan denies), and after two weeks of rising tensions the two nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged strikes and artillery fire. By 10 May, with fighting intensifying, the United States brokered a ceasefire, ending the worst India–Pakistan clash in decades.
Timeline of Key Events
- 22
April: Gunmen ambush a group of Hindu tourists in Pahalgam,
Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 26. India blames a Pakistan-based
militant group; Pakistan denies any involvement.
- 6–7
May: In retaliation, India launches air and missile strikes on
multiple targets in Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. New Delhi
says it hit “terrorist infrastructure” linked to the Pahalgam attack.
Pakistan reports that dozens of civilians were killed and wounded by these
strikes and by cross-border shelling.
- 8
May: Pakistan retaliates. It claims to have shot down at least 25
Indian drones targeting its cities. India confirms it engaged Pakistani
drones over 26 locations from Kashmir to Gujarat. Both sides exchange
artillery and missile fire throughout the day.
- 9
May: Fighting intensifies. Blasts rock Indian Kashmir (Srinagar,
Jammu) and even Amritsar in Punjab. India says it shot down multiple
Pakistani drones and an air defense radar. In Pakistani Kashmir, heavy
shelling kills at least five civilians (including an infant) and wounds
many others, according to Pakistani officials. By this point, “around 48
people have been killed” on both sides. Schools and airports in Indian
border regions are closed, and civilians evacuate near front lines.
- 10
May: Under intense U.S. diplomatic pressure, India and Pakistan agree
to a full ceasefire. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announces on
social media that both countries will “stop all firing and military
action” effective immediately. U.S. President Donald Trump posts on Truth
Social that “India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE
CEASEFIRE” after overnight talks led by American mediators.
- 11
May: Indian and Pakistani forces largely stand down, though each side
accuses the other of sporadic violations. Indian-administered Kashmir
experiences some explosions and air-defense fire that day.
- 12
May: Senior commanders from both armies speak again by phone, and
diplomats prepare for further talks. By this point, both governments are
discussing measures to consolidate the truce (see below).
Military Escalation
Both sides employed jets, drones, missiles and artillery in
the clash. India says it targeted militant bases, while Pakistan launched
counterstrikes and a land offensive (calling it “Operation Iron Wall”).
Pakistan’s military claimed to have shot down dozens of Indian drones sent over
cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, and India reported intercepting
Pakistani drones in many areas. Artillery barrages and rocket fire from both
sides pounded villages and airbases along the Line of Control. Reuters noted
that the five days of fighting amounted to “the worst military confrontation
between the two rivals in decades”. As one analysis put it, the skirmish marked
a new “drone era” in the India–Pakistan conflict, with “wave after wave” of
unmanned attacks on both sides.
Political Statements
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Addressed the
nation on 12 May, warning that India would respond firmly to any future attack.
Modi said “this is not an era of war, but this is also not an era of terror,”
and vowed that “if another terrorist attack against India is carried out, a
strong response will be given”. He emphasized that “terror and trade talks
cannot happen together” and warned that both water and commerce would be at
risk. India’s leadership has consistently held that it will “maintain a firm
and uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms”.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Also
addressed his country after the ceasefire. He said Pakistan had “acted as a
responsible state” and had agreed to the truce in the interest of peace and the
lives of its people. Sharif added that Pakistan’s “honour, dignity and
self-respect are more precious to us than our lives”. Later he described the
ceasefire as having been reached “for the benefit of everybody”. (Earlier in
the crisis, Sharif had vowed retaliation for the Indian strikes; in one
national address he warned India “will have to pay the price” for hitting
Pakistan.)
U.S. President Donald Trump
Took a personal role in
public messaging. Trump hailed the agreement on his social media. He wrote that
without the truce, “millions of people could have died”. In an earlier post he
announced the “FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE” and congratulated both countries
on using “common sense and great intelligence”. Trump later said he was “proud
that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision”.
(U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also tweeted praise, commending Modi and
Sharif for choosing peace.) Other international leaders, such as the UN
Secretary-General and the UK Prime Minister, welcomed the de-escalation.
U.S. Mediation Effort
Washington played a crucial role in ending the fighting.
Vice-President J.D. Vance and Secretary Rubio spent days negotiating with
Indian and Pakistani officials. According to a U.S. account, Vance offered New
Delhi an “off-ramp” solution on Friday, while Rubio spent all night on 9–10 May
phoning foreign ministers and army chiefs on both sides. Rubio later wrote that
he and Vance had engaged with Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif (and other
officials) over 48 hours, which culminated in the ceasefire deal. Over 36
countries reportedly helped facilitate the process. The U.S. pushed both armies
to use military hotlines: India’s DGMO spoke to Pakistan’s DGMO, and India’s
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced they would “stop all firing and
military action on land, air and sea” from 1700 IST on 10 May. Rubio added that
the agreement also set the stage for “talks on a broad set of issues at a
neutral site” to address the underlying tensions.
Ceasefire Agreement and Current Status
Under the ceasefire, both armies agreed to halt offensive
operations from 5pm local time on 10 May. Indian External Affairs Minister S.
Jaishankar confirmed that the countries had “worked out an understanding on
stoppage of firing and military action”. Top commanders also discussed
confidence-building measures: India’s army reported that the sides agreed “to
consider immediate measures to ensure troop reduction from the borders and
forward areas”. Pakistan’s army likewise sent signals of restraint once the truce
was in effect.
Despite the ceasefire, both governments soon accused the
other of minor violations. Hours after the truce, local reports in Srinagar and
Jammu recorded artillery flashes and intercepted drones【30†】.
India’s Foreign Secretary Misri said Pakistan was repeatedly breaking the truce
and warned that India’s forces were ready to “deal strongly” with any future
violations. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry responded that Pakistan remained
committed to the agreement “notwithstanding the violations being committed by
India in some areas,” and asked troops to “exercise restraint”. Both sides have
kept troops in forward positions while continuing diplomatic dialogue. The
“pause” is thus fragile, but it appears to have largely held so far.
Casualties and Damage
Each side reported significant civilian losses and property
damage, though the figures differ. Pakistan’s military spokesperson said Indian
strikes and shelling since 6 May had killed at least 31 civilians and wounded
dozens more in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir. India’s army said at least 21
Indian civilians had been killed by Pakistani shelling in Jammu and Kashmir. (A
BBC tally gave India’s figure as 16 dead from shelling.) Reuters later
estimated the combined civilian death toll at roughly 66 by the ceasefire.
Much of the damage was in remote border areas. For example,
Pakistani media showed images of a mosque-seminary in Muzaffarabad reduced to
rubble after it was struck by Indian missiles (killing three people). In
Indian-administered Kashmir, homes and vehicles were hit by stray artillery and
rockets【30†】. A
Reuters photo shows a child sifting through debris at a shell-damaged house in
Jammu (see above). Both governments declared sections of their airspace closed
during the fighting to protect civilian aircraft (flights were grounded or
rerouted). By late Sunday, Pakistan’s civil aviation authority said its
airspace had fully reopened.
Reopening of Airports and Troop Talks
By 11–12 May both governments moved to ease disruptions.
India announced it would reopen 32 regional airports that had been closed for
safety. Schools, airports and markets in border states that had shut down began
resuming normal activity under heightened security. Pakistan, for its part,
restored civilian flights across its airspace. Militarily, high-level talks
continued: the DGMO of India and Pakistan were set to meet again on 12 May, and
both sides reported being willing to pull back some troops. As India noted, the
armies had agreed to refrain from aggressive moves and “consider immediate
measures” for force reduction along the frontier.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire thus holds for now, but official
statements make clear that both sides remain wary. India insists it will
continue its hard line against terrorism, and Pakistan maintains its readiness
to defend its sovereignty. Observers note discrepancies in each country’s
accounts: for instance, India rejects Pakistan’s denial of involvement in the
Kashmir attack, and Pakistan disputes India’s characterization of strike
targets. Our account above reflects both governments’ reports. Future talks on
broader issues (as agreed by India and Pakistan) will determine whether this
ceasefire can endure.
Sources: Timeline and details are drawn from news
reports by BBC News, Reuters, The Washington Post, NPR and others, with each
claim attributed as above. All data are current to mid-May 2025.
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