India, LOGIC.co.id – Tensions in the Kashmir region flared once again after India reported "unprovoked" small arms fire from Pakistan late Sunday night (April 27, 2025), marking the fourth consecutive incident along the de facto border between the two countries.
The gunfire exchange occurred amid intensified militant search operations launched by India following a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir on April 22, which left 26 people dead. India identified two of the three attackers as Pakistani nationals, although Islamabad has denied the allegations and called for an impartial investigation.
According to security officials and survivors, the militants reportedly separated victims based on their names and targeted Hindu civilians before shooting them at close range in a meadow in the Pahalgam area.
The brutal attack triggered widespread outrage in India, where the majority of the population is Hindu, with calls mounting for tough action against Pakistan. New Delhi has accused Islamabad of funding and supporting terrorist activities in Kashmir, a region that has long been a flashpoint and even sparked two major wars in the past.
As a diplomatic countermeasure, India suspended the crucial Indus Waters Treaty, while Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
China, a major regional power, on Monday (April 28, 2025) urged both nations to exercise restraint and welcomed any initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions.
Meanwhile, the Indian military stated it had returned small arms fire from several Pakistani posts along the 740-kilometer border that divides Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. No casualties have been reported so far, and Pakistan has yet to issue an official statement.
Separately, Pakistan's military announced it had killed 54 Islamist militants attempting to cross into Pakistan from the Afghan border over the past two days.
In response to the April 22 attack, India ramped up its security operations in Kashmir. A local police official said that nearly 1,000 houses and forested areas have been searched, with about 500 individuals detained for further questioning. At least nine homes have been destroyed during these operations.
However, political leaders in the Jammu and Kashmir region have cautioned the government against targeting innocent civilians in its counterterrorism efforts.
"This is the first time in 26 years that I have seen the people openly express disapproval of such attacks," said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a parliamentary address.
"Militancy will end when the people stand with us, and it now appears they are beginning to do so," he added.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir-based resistance group known as The Resistance Front (TRF) issued a statement on platform X denying involvement in last week’s attack. An earlier post from their account had claimed responsibility, but the group later clarified that the post was the result of a "cyberattack."
According to a Delhi-based think tank, TRF is believed to be a splinter group of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant organization.