The decades of conflict between the nuclear powers India and Pakistan are again at a dangerous turning point. After a fatal attack in the North -Indian part of Kaschmir, in which at least 27 people were killed on Tuesday, there are various signs of a military escalation in the controversial Himalayas region.
The Indian government blamed Pakistan immediately after the attack and announced “determined reactions”. Security circles in Neu-Delhi consider an anti-terrorist operation of the Indian army in Kashmir as “probably”. According to Adrian Haack, head of the Konrad-Aadauer Foundation in Delhi, a limited military discussion is “more realistic than an extensive war, but this cannot be excluded either”.
Yesterday, a spokesperson for the Pakistani regional government confirmed that there was a shot at night between Pakistani and Indian soldiers along the so -called control line. Initially there were no reports about injured or death. The UN responded with an appeal to “maximum restraint”.
The starting point for new tensions is an attack on Hindu -Pelgrims in the Pahalgam holiday destination. Unknown attackers opened fire on Tuesday evening on a bus that transported pilgrims on their way to the Amarnath Holy Cave. 26 Indians and a Nepalese were killed. No group initially confessed the attack. A premium of two million rupees (around 22,000 euros) was suspended for instructions.
Pahalgam is considered a tourist center of the region and is often called the “Swiss of Asia”. The region has been the goal of numerous state tourism initiatives in recent years. This is also the reason why the attack was a shock – not only for family members, but also for the region that is economically dependent on the travel industry. “Pahalgam is the draft horse of the Kashmir tourist industry,” says Haack and compares it with the Zilltertal in Austria. The population is inheritingly – many Indians feel reminded of the series of attacks of Mumbai in 2008.
India reacted with awarding diplomatic and political measures: the designation of all Pakistani nationals was ordered until Tuesday. According to media reports, this affects several thousand people who are in India with temporary visas – for example for religious pilgrimage or media work. There is no double citizenship between the two countries. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the closure of the most important joint border crossing and the suspension of a water agreement that controls the use of various rivers in the Himalayas.
Pakistan responded immediately: Indian diplomats were declared persona non grata and had to leave the country immediately. Islamabad has also announced that the airspace for Indian Airlines and hiring the trade with India. A statement from the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs is particularly explosive, according to which every limitation of the water supply by India is assessed as an “act of war”.
The Kashmier conflict goes back to the British India division in 1947. Since then, both India and Pakistan have used the entire region for themselves, but only control parts of them. Two wars were already led through the area, one third could be closely prevented in 1999. Since 1989, half a million soldiers have been stationed in the Indian controlled region.
The current attack is part of a series of violent incidents, the intensity of which has increased again in recent years. In June 2024, several pilgrims had already died in a similar attack at Rusti. At that time, India also blamed Pakistanically supported groups. Pahalgam’s attack, however, blows up the previous framework: it has been the most difficult attack on citizens in the region for more than two decades.
International observers fear that the attack could lead to a new spiral of violence. “This attack will move relationships in the dark days,” said Praveen Donthi of the International Crisis Group. In Pakistan, hundreds of people took to the streets on Thursday. In Lahore a demonstrator called that India “should not play with the water of our people”-an allventions threatened by Neu-Delhi in the water agreement.
It is open whether there is a limited military counterattack or whether diplomacy is being observed at the last minute. But one thing is clear: Pahangam’s attack has increased the conflict between India and Pakistan to a new level of escalation.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
