ISLAMABAD — Indian military actions into areas under Pakistani control in Kashmir, as well as in Pakistan itself earlier this week, resulted in the deaths of over 100 militants, including key leaders, as per claims by a top Indian military official on Sunday.
Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai, who leads India’s military operations, stated that nine militant bases and training centers were targeted, including sites associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which India holds responsible for major militant activities within its territory and in the disputed region of Kashmir. “We achieved total surprise,” Ghai asserted during a news briefing in New Delhi, describing Pakistan’s response as “erratic and rattled.”
This development follows a ceasefire agreement reached by the two nations a day earlier, following talks aimed at de-escalating one of their most serious military confrontations in recent history. Both armies had engaged in exchanges involving gunfire, artillery, missiles, and drones, leading to numerous casualties. Under the ceasefire, both countries, holders of nuclear arsenals, agreed to halt all military operations on land, in the air, and at sea. However, Pakistan’s military refuted India’s assertion that it had requested the ceasefire, asserting instead that India had proposed it.
In a televised address, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif stated that Pakistan’s military had retaliated to India’s missile-led aggression, targeting 26 Indian military sites. He emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to counter Indian aggression, warning that any breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty would trigger a “comprehensive, retributive, and decisive” response. He noted that Pakistan exercised “maximum restraint” in its counterattack, ensuring no civilian areas in India were targeted.
Tensions intensified the previous week following a mass shooting targeting tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22, which India attributed to Pakistan—an accusation Pakistan denied. Gen. Ghai claimed that in the ensuing skirmishes along the Line of Control, the formal border in the disputed Kashmir region, between 35 to 40 Pakistani soldiers were killed, while five Indian soldiers lost their lives. Conversely, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reported that Pakistani forces killed between 40 to 50 Indian soldiers in these clashes.
Following India’s strikes, Pakistan launched multiple drone incursions over Kashmir and various Indian cities, which were neutralized by Indian forces, according to Air Marshal A.K. Bharti of the Indian air force. He confirmed that in turn, India executed “significant and game-changing” strikes on Pakistani airbases. Bharti did not provide comments on Pakistan’s claims of having shot down five Indian fighter jets, although he mentioned that India “downed (a) few planes,” without presenting evidence.
A reported ceasefire on Saturday was quickly destabilized by renewed overnight hostilities in disputed Kashmir, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire agreement. Indian reports noted drone sightings over both Indian-controlled Kashmir and the western state of Gujarat on Saturday night. Residents in regions close to the Line of Control reported intense exchanges of fire between Indian and Pakistani forces, which subsided by Sunday morning.
In Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Poonch area, residents reported traumatic experiences due to the intense shelling from recent clashes. “Most people ran as shells were being fired,” recounted Sosan Zehra, a college student. “It was completely chaotic.” In the Neelum Valley of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, just a few kilometers from the Line of Control, residents spoke of shellfire exchanges even after the ceasefire had been announced. “We were happy about the announcement, but, once again, the situation feels uncertain,” said Mohammad Zahid.
International reactions included U.S. President Donald Trump, who first announced the ceasefire on his Truth Social platform. Both Indian and Pakistani government officials confirmed the truce soon after. While Pakistan expressed gratitude towards the U.S. and Trump, India refrained from making any comments in this regard. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a meeting with high-ranking government and military officials on Sunday.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric conveyed Secretary General Antonio Guterres’s welcome of the ceasefire, viewing it as a positive step towards reducing tensions. “He hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries,” Dujarric said. Indian and Pakistani military leadership was slated to hold discussions on Monday.
Hostilities had erupted since Wednesday across the mountainous Line of Control, punctuated by razor wire, watchtowers, and bunkers winding through terrain dotted with villages and dense forests. Both nations habitually blame each other for inciting conflicts, all while denying instigation and claiming to only retaliate. The Kashmir region itself, split yet wholly claimed by both India and Pakistan, has led to three wars between the nations, their relations colored by conflict, aggressive diplomacy, and mutual suspicion over conflicting claims.