Pakistan violates LoC ceasefire for 7th straight night

Jammu | Pakistani troops continued ceasefire violations along the Line of Control for the seventh consecutive night by its unprovoked firing in several sectors across three border districts of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian military responded proportionately, officials said on Thursday.

The exchange of fire occurred even though the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan spoke over the hotline on Tuesday amid rising tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

“During the night of April 30-May 1, 2025, Pakistan Army posts initiated unprovoked small arms fire across the Line of Control opposite Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir,” a Defence spokesperson in Jammu said.

Indian Army troops responded swiftly and proportionately, he added.

Initially commencing with unprovoked small arms firing at several posts along the LoC in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir, Pakistan swiftly expanded its ceasefire violation to the Poonch sector and subsequently to the Akhnoor sector of the Jammu region.

It was followed by small arms firing on several posts along the LoC in the Sunderbani and Naushera sectors of Rajouri district on Tuesday night. Subsequently, it expanded the firing to the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district.

Since the night of April 24, just hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the killing of 26 people in the terror attack, Pakistani troops have been resorting to unprovoked firing at various places along the LoC in J&K, beginning from the Kashmir Valley.

The Pakistan military has been warned against the unprovoked firings, people familiar with the DGMO talks said.

On April 24, Pakistan blocked its airspace for Indian airlines, closed the Wagah border crossing, suspended all trade with India, and stated that any attempt to divert water meant for Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty would be considered an "act of war." India and Pakistan had agreed to a renewed ceasefire along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir in February 2021.

The situation has changed significantly since February 2021, when the DGMOs of India and Pakistan reiterated their commitment to the 2003 ceasefire agreement to ensure peace along the de facto border.

India shares a total of 3,323 km of border with Pakistan, divided into three parts: the International Border (IB), approximately 2,400 km from Gujarat to the northern banks of the Chenab River in Akhnoor, Jammu; the Line of Control (LoC), 740 km long, running from parts of Jammu to parts of Leh; and the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), 110 km long, dividing the Siachen region from NJ 9842 to Indira Col in the north.