India-Pakistan Ceasefire Holds After Days of Fighting

India and Pakistan continued to observe a ceasefire overnight into Sunday, following four days of intense cross-border fighting that marked the worst military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed rivals in decades, BBC reported. 

On Saturday, the two neighbors reached a US-brokered agreement that ended days of drone, missile, and artillery strikes that killed nearly 70 people. The clashes erupted after a militant attack on Hindu tourists in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir on April 22 that India blamed on Pakistani-backed militants. Pakistan denies involvement. 

Both countries confirmed the ceasefire over the weekend, but hours after its announcement, they accused each other of violations, with explosions reported in Srinagar in the Indian-administered territory and other border areas. 

The Indian army recorded 21 civilian deaths from Pakistani shelling, while Pakistan said Indian strikes had killed 36 people. 

However, fighting had largely subsided by Sunday morning, with residents in various cities returning to the streets and power restored in most Indian border areas. Even so, authorities in some regions warned civilians not to return due to safety concerns, Reuters added. 

US officials praised India and Pakistan for halting hostilities and confirmed that both nations agreed to talks at a neutral site.  

Indian authorities said the agreement reflected a shared interest in stability, while Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the truce “for the benefit of everybody.”  

India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir and maintain a heavy military presence in the region. Tensions had been building for weeks ahead of the April 22 attack, with India already threatening water supply disruption and border closures. 

Pakistan reiterated that any lasting resolution must include the “inalienable right to self-determination” for Kashmiris.