Kashmir, MINA – Calm returned to India and Pakistan on Monday as a US-mediated ceasefire continued to hold, bringing a temporary halt to a week of heightened military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors, Anadolu Agency reported.
Top military officials from both sides held a high-level phone call, emphasizing the importance of refraining from any aggressive actions or firing across the border. According to the Indian army, both countries also agreed to explore immediate steps toward troop reduction along border areas.
Earlier in the day, India’s civil aviation authority reopened 32 airports in northern India and the region of Jammu and Kashmir, signaling a gradual return to normalcy.
Tensions escalated sharply following India’s launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting what it described as nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In response, Pakistan reported that the strikes resulted in 33 fatalities.
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The cross-border tensions led to heavy artillery exchanges along the Line of Control (LoC), with multiple casualties reported on both sides. Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes targeted 26 Indian military installations and air bases.
India claimed the operation had met its objectives, though it acknowledged the loss of five military personnel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a national address, reiterated India’s firm stance that any future talks with Pakistan will only address terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, warning against what he called “nuclear blackmail.”
Operation Sindoor was launched after a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 dead, mostly Indian tourists. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attack, an allegation Islamabad denied, while offering an impartial investigation.
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In the aftermath, both nations enacted several diplomatic countermeasures, including India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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