Ceasefire in ruins: Explosions rock Kashmir just hours after India-Pakistan truce
A fragile ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between India and Pakistan has crumbled within hours of its announcement, as explosions and gunfire echoed across the disputed Kashmir region. Despite public declarations of peace from both New Delhi and Islamabad, hostilities reignited late Saturday night, raising concerns of a wider escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations.
According to Indian government sources cited by AFP, Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire agreement mere hours after it was declared. Witnesses in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, reported hearing a series of loud explosions followed by anti-aircraft fire in the city center. Power outages struck several districts, plunging the city into darkness and confusion.
“What the hell happened to the ceasefire? Explosions could be heard across Srinagar,” wrote Omar Abdullah, the region’s senior elected official, in a post on social media. “There is no ceasefire. Air defense units just opened fire in the middle of the city.”
Similar scenes unfolded in Jammu, another major city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where locals described the night sky lit by flashes and subsequent power cuts. The Associated Press confirmed that blasts in both cities occurred shortly after the ceasefire announcement.
Cross-border gunfire was also reported near the town of Barnala in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in India’s Rajouri district, both located along the highly volatile Line of Control (LoC). A senior Indian official, speaking to the New York Times, alleged that Pakistani drones were spotted hovering above Srinagar prior to the flare-up.
Ceasefire Brokered by Washington Quickly Collapses
Only hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had triumphantly announced that India and Pakistan had reached a “complete and immediate ceasefire,” facilitated through American diplomatic channels. Trump made the announcement on his platform, Truth Social, hailing the development as a “huge step toward peace between two great nations.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also confirmed the agreement via his official account on X (formerly Twitter), and India’s Ministry of External Affairs followed with a similar statement shortly after.
The ceasefire was intended to halt four days of intense cross-border military strikes that began after a deadly terrorist attack in April targeting Indian tourists in Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of harboring the militant group behind the assault and responded with air and artillery strikes on multiple locations across Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.
Both nations reported dozens of casualties in the subsequent exchange of fire, marking the deadliest escalation in the region in nearly two decades. Analysts had described the current standoff as the most serious since the 2001-2002 crisis, with fears mounting that either side could be drawn into a broader military conflict.
History Repeats in the Shadow of the Himalayas
Kashmir remains a flashpoint of hostility between India and Pakistan since both countries gained independence from Britain in 1947. The region, claimed in full by both nations, has been the site of three full-scale wars and countless skirmishes.
While periodic ceasefire agreements have been declared in the past—most notably the 2003 and 2021 accords—these have routinely broken down amid border flare-ups, insurgent activity, and political tensions. However, the speed with which this latest agreement unraveled has stunned observers.
The presence of drones, ongoing shelling, and statements from Indian and Pakistani officials suggest that neither side was fully committed—or prepared—to enforce the terms of the truce.
What Comes Next?
With tensions again on the rise and trust between the two countries at a new low, prospects for sustained peace appear dim. International observers, including the United Nations, have called for immediate restraint, while Washington has yet to comment on the breakdown of the ceasefire it helped negotiate.
Meanwhile, the people of Kashmir, long caught in the crossfire, face renewed uncertainty. Schools have been closed, mobile networks restricted, and emergency services put on high alert across the region.
As diplomatic efforts falter and military tensions resurface, the crisis in Kashmir once again highlights the volatility of one of the world’s most dangerous borders—where any spark, however small, risks lighting a far larger fire.
