An intense exchange of gunfire and artillery shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops rocked the disputed Kashmir region overnight, leaving at least five civilians dead and several others injured. The flare-up comes amid growing military tensions following a recent attack on a tourist site in Indian-administered Kashmir.
In Pakistan, authorities reported unusually heavy cross-border shelling, which killed at least four civilians and injured 12 others in areas near the Line of Control. “We’re used to hearing gunfire along the border, but last night was different,” said Mohammad Shakil, a resident of the Chakothi sector. Witnesses said the firing continued well into Friday morning.
On the Indian side, military officials stated that Pakistani forces targeted several outposts with heavy artillery, mortars, and small arms fire. Indian troops returned fire, triggering a fierce exchange that lasted until dawn. In the Uri sector, one woman was killed and two others injured, bringing the civilian death toll in Indian-administered Kashmir to 17 since Wednesday. Pakistan has also reported 17 civilian deaths on its side during the same period.
Indian authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from villages near the volatile border, while thousands more spent a second consecutive night in shelters.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals have surged since a deadly attack on April 22 at a popular tourist destination in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which left 26 people dead, most of them Hindu Indian tourists. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for supporting the attack, an accusation Islamabad strongly denies.
On Wednesday, India launched airstrikes on multiple targets inside Pakistan, which it described as militant-related. Pakistani officials claim the strikes killed 31 civilians and that their forces shot down five Indian fighter jets.
The following day, the Indian Army said it had intercepted drone and missile attacks aimed at military sites in more than a dozen towns and cities, including Jammu. No casualties were reported. Pakistan denied launching such attacks, while India claimed to have struck Pakistani air defense systems and radar installations near the city of Lahore. These reports have not been independently verified.
As fears of a broader military conflict grow and world leaders call for de-escalation, U.S. Vice President JD Vance remarked that a potential war between India and Pakistan is “not our business.” In an interview with Fox News, he said, “What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a bit, but we’re not going to get involved in a war that fundamentally isn’t our concern and isn’t something the United States can control.”
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