After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has accelerated cross-border aggression, resulting in the killing of 13 Indian civilians and wounding 59 others in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. The External Affairs Ministry, on Thursday, confirmed that all the deaths had taken place in Poonch, while the majority of the injuries were also located in the same region.
This escalation comes after India’s targeted missile strikes that hit nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. These strikes were aimed directly at responding to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, the majority of them tourists. Indian action, billed as “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible,” has been met with retaliatory fire across the Line of Control.
Ponch Ceasefire: Worst Ceasefire Breach Since 2021 Truce
Pakistan’s armed reaction, starting with light weaponry fire and culminating in mass artillery barrages after Operation Sindoor, constitutes the gravest ceasefire violation since the truce agreement in February 2021. Government sources close to the development confirmed that Pakistani forces had violated the ceasefire agreement at least 15 times during the period January through early April 2025, but that this had become increasingly common and acute over the last week.
“Unlike isolated, short fire exchanges typically resolved through established mechanisms of communication, the current trend is one of simultaneous salvos at multiple locations,” an official said. This has resulted in wider and prolonged engagements across sectors along the LoC.
Indian Army Fires Back as LoC Borrows Intensity from Eastern Front
In retaliation for the aggression, the Indian Army has struck back with measured strength. On Thursday, Pakistani troops’ artillery and mortar shelling was witnessed in four sectors, although officials reported a relative reduction in intensity from the barrage seen on Wednesday. The Army is still on high alert, with reinforcements and counter-battery arrangements in position.
During the rising hostilities, the Ministry of External Affairs again asserted India’s support for peace but emphasized protecting its people and borders. The dynamics of the situation continue to shift, with border dwellers suffering the greatest impact from this increased aggression.
