A resident standing next to his house damaged by overnight Pakistani artillery shelling in Jammu region.-AFP
India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire after US-led talks to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades but accused each other of violating the deal just hours later.
However, the ceasefire was shaken by overnight border fighting in the disputed Kashmir region.
The ceasefire had been expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the mass shooting of tourists last month that India blames on Pakistan, which denies the charge. But multiple explosions were heard in two large cities of Indian-controlled Kashmir hours after the countries agreed to the deal.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late on Saturday that “there had been repeated violations of the understanding arrived between the two countries” and accused Pakistan of breaching the agreement.
Pakistanis flash victory signs as they celebrate on top of a model of a tank following the ceasefire deal in Multan.-AP
“We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,” he said at a news conference in New Delhi.
Misri said the Indian army was “retaliating” for what he called a “border intrusion”.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry blamed Indian forces for initiating the ceasefire violation, adding that Pakistan remains committed to the agreement and its forces were handling the situation with responsibility and restraint.
“We believe that any issues in the smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels,” the ministry said.
The first word of the truce came from US President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire: “Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a speech on Saturday that his country agreed to the ceasefire in the larger interest of peace in the region and hoped all the outstanding issues with India, including the long-running dispute over the Kashmir region, would be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
A residence of a senior government official damaged by a Pakistan shelling is seen in Rajouri. -AP
Misri said the head of military operations from both countries spoke on Saturday afternoon and agreed “that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, and in the air and sea”.
However, hours after the agreement, explosions heard by residents in Srinagar and Jammu in Indian-controlled Kashmir were followed by blackouts in the two cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Conflict between India and Pakistan is not rare, with the two countries having periodically engaged in wars, clashes and skirmishes since gaining independence from British India in 1947.
The ceasefire in the latest hostilities came after the countries fired volleys of cross-border missile strikes on Saturday, when India said it targeted Pakistani air bases after Islamabad fired several high-speed missiles at military and civilian infrastructure in Punjab state.
Pakistan said it responded with retaliatory strikes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and Vice-President JD Vance had engaged with senior officials from both countries over the past 48 hours.
They included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharif, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.
Rubio said the two governments agreed to “start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site”.
Though Pakistanis had initially celebrated their army’s retaliation, they were later jubilant about the truce, saying it was a moment of national pride and relief after days of tension.
A Kashmiri villager examines the damage to his house caused by overnight Indian shelling in Shah Kot. -AP
In Islamabad, Zubaida Bibi expressed her joy at the restoration of peace with India.
“War brings nothing but suffering,” she said. “We are happy that calm is returning. It feels like Eid to me. We have won.”
Tensions have soared since the attack at a popular tourist site in Indian-controlled Kashmir left 26 civilians dead, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, on April 22.
Before the ceasefire was reached, India’s military said Pakistan had targeted health facilities and schools at its three air bases in Kashmir early Saturday and India had launched missile strikes in response.
They targeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, Murid air base in Chakwal city and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, according to Pakistan’s military spokesman. — AFP
