India’s Strikes in Pakistan After Kashmir Attack Spark Regional Security and Diplomatic Debates

On April 22, 2025, a deadly militant attack in Pahalgam, a scenic tourist spot in Indian-administered Kashmir, left 26 people dead, mostly tourists. This tragic event shattered years of relative calm in the region and set off a chain of events that has once again brought India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbors, into the global spotlight. India’s response, a series of military strikes deep inside Pakistan on May 7, marked one of the most significant escalations in the decades-long conflict over Kashmir. As the dust settles on a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the strikes continue to fuel heated discussions about regional security, the risk of further conflict, and the potential for diplomatic resolutions.

The Pahalgam attack, described as the deadliest assault on Indian civilians in over 15 years, prompted immediate outrage in New Delhi. Indian authorities pointed fingers at Pakistan, accusing it of supporting the militants responsible. Pakistan, however, denied any involvement, insisting it only provides moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri separatists. The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wasted no time in launching Operation Sindoor, a military operation targeting what India called “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes, which included missile attacks and drone operations, hit nine targets, including sites in Pakistan’s Punjab province and the Nur Khan airbase near Rawalpindi. India claimed to have killed over 100 militants, while Pakistan reported significant civilian casualties, including 40 civilians and 11 military personnel.

India’s Strikes

The retaliation didn’t stop there. Over the next three days, both nations engaged in tit-for-tat strikes, with Pakistan launching rockets and drones targeting Indian military bases and civilian areas near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Kashmir. The conflict saw unprecedented escalation, with Indian forces striking 11 Pakistani airbases, reportedly destroying nearly 20 percent of Pakistan’s air force assets. Pakistan’s response included shelling and drone attacks that killed at least 16 people in Indian-administered Kashmir, including 11-year-old twins in Poonch. By May 10, after four days of intense fighting, a U.S.-mediated ceasefire brought a temporary halt to the hostilities. Yet, the ceasefire has done little to ease the underlying tensions or address the broader implications for regional stability.

The Kashmir conflict, rooted in the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, remains a deeply sensitive issue for both nations. Both countries claim the Himalayan region in full but administer only parts of it, and their rivalry has fueled three wars and numerous smaller clashes over the decades. India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir, a charge Pakistan denies, while Pakistan has long sought international intervention to resolve the dispute, citing United Nations resolutions. India, however, insists on bilateral negotiations, as outlined in the 1971 Simla Agreement, and views third-party mediation—such as the U.S. role in the recent ceasefire—with suspicion.

The recent strikes have reignited debates about regional security, particularly the risks posed by two nuclear-armed nations engaging in direct military confrontation. Analysts warn that the escalation, which saw India deploy BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Pakistan test India’s air defenses with drones, has lowered the threshold for future conflicts. The strikes also marked a shift in India’s military strategy. Unlike the 2019 airstrike following the Pulwama attack, which targeted a remote forest area, the 2025 strikes reached populous regions like Punjab and Rawalpindi, signaling India’s willingness to take bolder actions. Prime Minister Modi’s public statements underscored this shift, emphasizing a “zero tolerance” policy for terrorism and rejecting Pakistan’s “nuclear blackmail.” Modi also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a long-standing water-sharing agreement, further escalating tensions.

The human cost of the conflict has been devastating, particularly for civilians in Kashmir. Families on both sides of the LoC have lost loved ones and seen their homes destroyed. In Indian-administered Kashmir, residents of Srinagar and Jammu reported sleepless nights amid drone attacks and explosions. In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Indian strikes reportedly hit residential areas and a mosque, which India claimed was a militant camp. The ceasefire has allowed some normalcy to return, with civilian airports reopening in both countries, but tens of thousands remain displaced, and many Kashmiris fear the truce is only temporary.

Diplomatically, the situation remains precarious. The U.S., along with the U.K. and Saudi Arabia, played a critical role in brokering the ceasefire, with President Donald Trump claiming credit for de-escalating the crisis. However, India has downplayed U.S. involvement, insisting the ceasefire was a bilateral decision. This disagreement highlights India’s sensitivity to external mediation, particularly on the Kashmir issue, which it considers an internal matter. Pakistan, on the other hand, has welcomed international involvement, seeing it as a chance to “internationalize” the Kashmir dispute, a long-standing goal. Analysts like Walter Ladwig from King’s College London note that Pakistan’s ability to secure U.S. intervention has bolstered its position in global politics, despite its struggling economy and domestic challenges.

The ceasefire has also sparked domestic debates in both countries. In India, Modi’s government has been praised by supporters for its decisive military response, which strengthened its nationalist base. However, opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, have questioned the government’s handling of the crisis, demanding clarity on whether India accepted U.S. mediation and why the operation was paused. In Pakistan, Army Chief Asim Munir has emerged stronger, framing the ceasefire as a triumph of military preparedness and nuclear deterrence. Yet, some analysts argue that Pakistan’s military losses, including damage to key airbases, have exposed vulnerabilities in its defense systems, particularly its Chinese-made HQ-9P missile shield.

The international community remains on edge, with calls for both nations to pursue diplomatic resolutions. The U.K.’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy has emphasized the need for a permanent ceasefire and the removal of terrorist bases in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Meanwhile, political analyst Sumantra Bose argues that the recent conflict has “crossed a Rubicon” by targeting high-population areas, making future escalations more likely. The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty adds another layer of complexity, as water sharing has long been a flashpoint between the two nations.

For Kashmiris caught in the crossfire, the stakes are deeply personal. Families like those in Poonch, who lost young children, and residents of Rehari Colony in Jammu, woken by deafening blasts, bear the brunt of the conflict. Local leaders, like Hussain in Srinagar, have called on global powers to help defuse tensions permanently, emphasizing that civilians suffer the most. The region’s tourism industry, which had been recovering with new hotels and coffee shops, now faces uncertainty as drone attacks and shelling cast a shadow over Kashmir’s future.

As the ceasefire holds, the path forward remains unclear. India’s firm stance against terrorism and its refusal to engage in talks unless Pakistan addresses militant activity suggest that diplomatic breakthroughs are unlikely in the near term. Pakistan’s push for international mediation, coupled with its insistence on its sovereignty, further complicates negotiations. The recent violence has not only upended the regional status quo but also highlighted the fragile nature of bilateral agreements like the Simla Agreement and the Indus Waters Treaty.

The global community, particularly the U.S., faces the challenge of balancing support for India’s security concerns with Pakistan’s call for a broader resolution to the Kashmir dispute. For now, the ceasefire offers a moment of respite, but the underlying issues—terrorism, territorial claims, and mutual distrust—continue to simmer. As both nations navigate their domestic and international pressures, the world watches closely, hoping for a resolution that prioritizes peace and stability in a region long plagued by conflict.

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