2025 India–Pakistan border skirmishes

2025 India–Pakistan border skirmishes
Part of the 2025 India–Pakistan diplomatic crisis, the Indo-Pakistani conflicts and the Kashmir conflict
Map of the disputed region of Kashmir
Date 24 April 2025 – ongoing (5 days) Location Radcliffe Line and Line of Control Result Ongoing
Belligerents
India	Pakistan Lashkar-e-Taiba
Commanders and leaders
Narendra Modi	Khawaja Asif
Units involved
Indian Armed Forces Indian Army Indian Air Force Central Armed Police Forces Border Security Force Central Reserve Police Force Indian paramilitary forces Jammu and Kashmir Police	Pakistan Armed Forces Pakistan Army Pakistan Air Force Pakistan Rangers Lashkar-e-Taiba The Resistance Front
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Per India: 1 BSF soldier captured	None

Following a terrorist attack on tourists visiting the region of Jammu and Kashmir, armed skirmishes between India and Pakistan were reported along the Line of Control (LoC) beginning on 24 April, raising fears of a potential escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The standoffs were followed by a diplomatic crisis which emerged between the two countries, as India accused Pakistan of sponsoring the attack.

On 22 April 2025, a terrorist attack in Pahalgam resulted in the death of 26 tourists, marking the deadliest assault on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. India accused Pakistan-based militants of carrying out the attack, triggering a rapid decline in bilateral relations. In response India expelled Pakistani diplomats, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty for the first time since its signing in 1960, closed borders, and revoked visas for Pakistani nationals. Pakistan, while denying any involvement, responded by suspending the Simla Agreement of 1972, closing its airspace and trade routes to India, and expelling Indian diplomats. Analysts observed that the suspension of key agreements represented an unprecedented breakdown of the post-1971 framework regulating India–Pakistan relations, against a broader backdrop of growing regional instability.

Background

Main articles: 2025 Pahalgam attack and 2025 India-Pakistan diplomatic crisis

On 22 April 2025, armed insurgents carried out an ambush attack in the Baisaran Valley meadow near Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 26 individuals, predominantly Hindu tourists. According to eyewitness testimonies provided to Indian media outlets, assailants reportedly questioned potential victims about their religious identity before opening fire, specifically targeting non-Muslims.

The attack became among the deadliest attacks against Indian civilians in the region since 2000. The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian authorities alleged this group operated as a proxy for organizations supported by Pakistani military intelligence.

Following the attack, India initiated the expulsion of Pakistani diplomats and withdrawal of its own diplomats, suspended the visas of Pakistani nationals, closed borders, and withdrew from the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan responded by denying the allegations, suspending the Shimla Agreement, closing border crossings and airspace between the nations, and instituting trade restrictions.

Military events

A joint cordon and search operation was initiated by the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and Jammu and Kashmir Police. A temporary lockdown was imposed in Pahalgam, and Indian Army helicopters were deployed to track down the militants, who reportedly fled to the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range. On 25 April, soldiers demolished the family residences of two individuals suspected of involvement in the Pahalgam attack. An Indian soldier was killed and two other soldiers wounded during a gunfight with insurgents in the Basantgarh region of Udhampur. Senior Lashkar-e-Taiba Commander Altaf Lalli was also killed in the gunfight.

Both Pakistani and Indian Air Forces conducted intensive flights near the line of control, with security experts issuing warnings for the possibility of significant military operations. An Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldier belonging to the 182nd battalion was captured by Pakistan Rangers after he reportedly entered Pakistani territory unintentionally at the Ferozepur border. Meetings were initiated between both nations to negotiate his release.

24–25 April

On 24 April, an Indian soldier was killed and two other soldiers wounded during a gunfight with insurgents in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur. In the same encounter Senior LeT Commander Altaf Lalli was killed by Security forces.

Starting on the night of 24–25 April 2025, Indian military officials reported skirmishes and exchanges of gunfire at multiple locations along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in the disputed territory. The clashes continued throughout 25 April, with tensions between the two sides remaining high.

26 April

On the night of 25-26 April, reportedly multiple Pakistani military outposts initiated "unprovoked small arms firing" across various sectors along the LOC. According to Indian Army statements, their forces responded "appropriately with small arms fire".

Concurrently, security personnel destroyed the houses of suspected terrorists in the districts of Pulwama and Kulgam through controlled detonations. Both individuals were allegedly connected to the Pahalgam attack according to Indian authorities.

27 April

Heavy skirmishes took place at Leepa Valley with Pakistan deploying heavy weaponry including the M110 self-propelled artillery system to the area during the night of 26-27 April.

On 27 April, The New York Times reported that India was building a case for a military response against Pakistan among foreign diplomats, rather than seeking de-escalation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefed diplomats from over 100 missions in New Delhi, emphasizing Pakistan’s historical ties to militant groups. Indian officials claimed to have preliminary technical intelligence, including facial recognition data, suggesting connections between the perpetrators and Pakistan. International reaction remained muted, with major powers distracted by other global crises, leaving India under little external pressure to moderate its response. Analysts warned that while India might seek a "spectacular" retaliatory strike, the tit-for-tat dynamic between the two nuclear-armed neighbors risked rapid escalation. Despite these concerns, some observers suggested the confrontation would likely remain within the bounds of "managed hostility," similar to previous India–Pakistan crises.

28 April

On 28 April, Pakistani Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif announced that a military incursion by India's military was "imminent". Indian Union minister Ramdas Athawale has said that India should declare war against Pakistan if the country refuses to surrender Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

See also

• 2025 in India
• 2025 in Pakistan
• 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes
• 2020–21 India–Pakistan border skirmishes
• 2023 India–Pakistan border skirmishes
• Reactions to the 2025 Pahalgam attack