The Indian military on Saturday accused Pakistani forces of firing on Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region for a second straight night, amid rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following a deadly attack on Indian tourists.
In a statement, the Indian army said soldiers at multiple Pakistani posts opened fire overnight across the LoC, prompting Indian troops to respond with small arms fire. The Indian military labeled the firing as “unprovoked” and reported no casualties.
This follows a similar incident reported on Friday, when Indian forces claimed they were targeted with small arms fire in the Gurez sector the previous night.
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There was no immediate response from Pakistan, and the claims have not been independently verified. Both countries have a history of blaming each other for initiating border clashes in the contested Himalayan region.
The escalation comes in the wake of Tuesday’s attack near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 people, mostly tourists. India labeled the incident a terrorist attack and blamed Pakistan for supporting it.
Pakistan, however, denied involvement, and a little-known group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance claimed responsibility.
The attack was the worst against civilians in the region in years and has triggered heightened tensions. India and Pakistan, who each claim Kashmir in full and have fought two wars over it, have since taken retaliatory measures.
India suspended a longstanding water-sharing treaty on Wednesday, shut down the only operational land border crossing, and announced all Pakistani visas would be revoked by Sunday. In response, Pakistan canceled Indian visas, closed its airspace to Indian aircraft, and halted bilateral trade.
Travelers from both countries began returning home through the Wagah border near Lahore on Friday.
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Islamabad also issued a stern warning, saying any attempt by India to stop or divert river waters would be treated as an “act of war.” The move threatens to worsen water shortages in parts of Pakistan already facing drought conditions.
India maintains that all militant activity in Kashmir is backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies, asserting instead that the insurgency reflects a local struggle for independence among Kashmir’s Muslim-majority population.