New Delhi: Mere hours after India and Pakistan agreed to a Saturday ceasefire, Pakistan broke the accord by firing artillery and drone attacks along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC). Indian air defenses destroyed several Pakistani drones in Jammu, Srinagar, Baramulla, and other places. This cast grave doubts about the validity of the newly established truce and heightening tensions again.
Srinagar Blasts, Air Defenses Deployed
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed explosions in Srinagar, which indicated a ceasefire violation. Referring to X, he was amazed and said, “What kind of ceasefire is this? Explosions are ringing out in Srinagar!” With a video of the sound of blasts in the city, he said, “This is no ceasefire.”
The government mobilized air defense troops in Srinagar. Authorities imposed blackouts in Srinagar and Baramulla, while gunfire was reported in Rajouri.
Drone Activity Across Jammu and Beyond
The Pakistani army began shelling with artillery across the IB in the Akhnoor, Rajouri, and RS Pura sectors. It also witnessed ceasefire violations on the LoC in Jammu’s Palanwalla sector. In Baramulla, the Pakistani army shot down a drone and spotted suspicious unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones were also seen in the Rajouri and Samba districts, where air raid alarms rang off. There were additional drone sightings in Pokhran, Rajasthan, and Kutch, Gujarat, leading to blackouts.
India’s quick return to
India has directed the Border Security Force to retaliate in full strength against ceasefire violations. Indian air defenses successfully shot down multiple drones, including those detected in Jammu’s Nagrota and Punjab’s Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, and Faridkot. After spotting aerial activity, authorities imposed a blackout in Katra, the location of the Vaishno Devi temple.
Background of the ceasefire
The ceasefire, said to come into effect from 5:00 PM on Saturday, was agreed after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called his Indian counterpart at 3:30 PM. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri assured reporters that both parties pledged to stop all military activities on land, sea, and air. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also signed off on the deal. Pakistan’s renewed drone attacks within hours belied the agreement.
Increasing Regional Tensions This transgression comes after heightened conflict triggered by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people. In retaliation, India initiated ‘Operation Sindoor,’ targeting terrorist infrastructure in PoK and Pakistan. Pakistan’s response in the form of retaliatory raids resulted in the ceasefire agreement, now threatened by its sudden breach.