New Explosions and Troop Buildup: Tensions Between India and Pakistan Escalate

India and Pakistan are placing their troops on high alert and deploying them to the disputed Kashmir region, as a shootout occurred between border forces and the homes of terrorists were blown up.

Indian media report new explosions and escalating tensions in the region.

Three days after a terrorist attack in Kashmir, where Islamist militants gunned down around fifty tourists, the homes of two involved terrorists were blown up in the cities of Anantnag and Awantipora.

Indian officials state that forces were conducting searches in the homes when stored explosives unexpectedly detonated, resulting in the destruction of both buildings.

Authorities also reported that one of the suspects had previously spent a considerable amount of time in Pakistan, where he is believed to have received militant training before returning to Kashmir.

On the night of April 24 to 25, a firefight broke out between the Pakistani and Indian armies along the Line of Control in the disputed region. No casualties have been reported on the Indian side.

“The Pakistani army used small arms along the border. Our forces responded. Further details are being clarified. There are no casualties,” an Indian official stated.

Strategic Threats and Troop Mobilization

The day after the terrorist attack, India’s cabinet convened a security committee, which announced the discovery of cross-border links between the militant group and Pakistan. Citing this as justification, the government ordered the closure of the only border crossing between the two countries in the region and gave all Pakistani nationals 48 hours to leave the country.

However, the most significant and strategic move was the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the shared use of river waters between India and Pakistan. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that the treaty would be suspended “until Pakistan convincingly and irreversibly renounces its support for cross-border terrorism.”

The Pakistani government rejected India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a legally binding international agreement that cannot be halted without mutual consent. Pakistan’s Prime Minister emphasized the critical importance of water for the nation’s survival, describing any attempt to stop or divert Pakistan’s water as an “existential threat.”

In response, Pakistan launched naval exercises in the Arabian Sea and placed its armed forces on full alert. Several media outlets reported increased activity by the Pakistan Air Force, including nighttime F-16 sorties from the Kamra air base. Meanwhile, local residents shared footage showing the movement of Pakistani military armored vehicles toward the disputed region.

Reports also indicated that Pakistan Army Air Defence Corps had been placed on combat readiness, and that airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft had allegedly been deployed to monitor Indian air activity in the border regions.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force conducted Exercise “Aakraman”, deploying Rafale fighter jets and military transport aircraft for operations in the border areas.