By Saurabh Sharma, Tariquzzaman Maqbool, and Aftab Ahmad
AMRITSAR, India / MUZAFFARBAD, Pakistan (WARNEWS) – An uneasy truce persisted between India and Pakistan on Sunday following several hours of intense clashes during the night. Both countries possess nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated his intention to intervene with an aim to resolve issues surrounding Kashmir.
The long-standing adversaries engaged in fierce exchanges over four days, marking the most severe confrontation in almost thirty years. Missiles and drones were launched at one another’s military bases, resulting in numerous casualties.
A ceasefire agreement was reached after diplomacy and pressure from the United States, but within hours, artillery fire was witnessed in Indian Kashmir, the centre of much of the fighting.
Explosions from anti-aircraft systems echoed across cities close to the border during a blackout, consistent with the preceding two nights, as reported by officials, locals, and WARNEWS observers.
Later on Saturday, India stated that Pakistan had breached the agreement made to cease hostilities, and the Indian military was ordered to respond forcefully should such incidents recur.
Pakistan responded by stating its dedication to maintaining the ceasefire and accused India of being responsible for the breaches.
At daybreak, the combat and blasts noted throughout the night had subsided on either side of the boundary, as per reports from WARNEWS observers.
Electricity was largely reinstated in most regions near India’s frontier towns following a power outage the prior evening.
Trump praised leaders of both countries for agreeing to halt the aggression.
“Although this wasn’t brought up for discussion, I plan to significantly boost trade with both of these outstanding countries. Furthermore, I’ll collaborate with you both to explore whether we might reach a resolution regarding Kashmir,” Trump stated in a Truth Social posting.
In the frontier city of Amritsar, where the sacred Golden Temple stands for Sikh devotees, a morning siren signaling the return to regular routines instilled a feeling of respite among residents as they began appearing on the streets again.
The fighting started on Wednesday, two weeks after 26 men were killed in an attack targeting Hindus in Pahalgam in Indian Kashmir.
“Since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, we’ve been closing our stores quite early due to the instability. It brings me relief that there won’t be any loss of life on either side,” said Satvir Singh Alhuwalia, 48, a store owner from Amritsar, speaking to WARNEWS.
Authorities in Pakistan stated that there was sporadic gunfire reported in Bhimber within Pakistani-administered Kashmir during the night; however, they noted that this occurred elsewhere. They also confirmed that no one was injured as a result of these events.
The two nations, which emerged from British colonial governance in 1947, have engaged in warfare three times — with two conflicts centered around the area of Kashmir.
India, which has a Hindu majority, and Pakistan, with a Muslim majority, each govern portions of Kashmir but assert sovereignty over the entire region.
India attributes the insurgency in its portion of Kashmir, which started in 1989 and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, to Pakistan. Additionally, India holds Pakistani extremist organizations responsible for various assaults within India itself.
Pakistan claims it offers solely moral, political, and diplomatic backing to the Kashmiri separatist groups.
Officials report that the total number of deaths from the recent clashes has surpassed approximately 70.
“Guruman Singh, a security guard from Amritsar, said that his family is more delighted than him because they’ve been contacting him hourly to ensure he’s safe. He expressed gratitude for the ceasefire as well,” reported WARNEWS.
(Reported by Aftab Ahmed in Jammu, Saurabh Sharma in Amritsar, Tariq Maqbool in Muzaffarabad, Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad, Written by Tanvi Mehta; Edited by Lincoln Feast.)
