Ceasefire Shattered: Pakistan Launches Attacks

Ceasefire Shattered Within Hours: Pakistan Launches Shelling and Drone Strikes Across Indian Border

 

 All may note that there is no sheling on LoC now and there are no reports of blasts in Srinagar.

 

Barely hours after India and Pakistan formally declared a comprehensive ceasefire across land, air, and maritime frontiers, the fragile agreement has been upended by a barrage of unprovoked aggression from the Pakistani side.

Beginning late Saturday evening, intense shelling and aerial provocations were reported from multiple sectors across Jammu & Kashmir and the international border with Rajasthan. Initial hostilities commenced with artillery fire in the Akhnoor and R.S. Pura sectors, followed by reported drone activity and explosions in Srinagar, Baramulla, and Budgam. Civilian casualties and extensive infrastructure damage have been confirmed in areas of Poonch and Uri, with at least five deaths recorded in early morning shelling in the Poonch-Akhnoor belt.

Simultaneously, along the western front, an incoming air raid alert was triggered in Barmer, Rajasthan, prompting immediate blackout measures across the district. Similar emergency protocols were enforced in parts of Punjab, including Gurdaspur, where unmanned aerial vehicles were sighted breaching Indian airspace.

In Srinagar’s Badami Bagh Cantonment — housing the Army’s strategic 15 Corps headquarters — drones were intercepted and neutralised amidst a citywide blackout. Explosions echoed through the valley, leading to mass panic and renewed security alerts. Reports also confirm drone intrusions over Udhampur, the base of the Army’s Northern Command, though official details remain under wraps.

The coordinated escalation extended along the LoC with ceasefire violations also registered in Mendhar, Chamb, Bhimber Gali and Gurez. Civilians in Baramulla, Kathua and Samba districts were urged to remain indoors as local administrations imposed power cuts and enforced curfews. In the Arnia sector of Samba, cross-border firing continued late into the night.

Despite Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s public declaration that the ceasefire symbolised “a new beginning for regional peace and prosperity,” the ground reality starkly contradicts the diplomatic rhetoric. Saturday's transgressions not only eroded confidence in the agreement but also cast doubt on Islamabad’s intent to uphold its commitments.

The ceasefire had been brokered earlier in the day through trilateral engagement involving the United States, with announcements made by President Donald Trump, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. However, New Delhi had already clarified that certain bilateral measures — including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and a continued visa embargo on Pakistani nationals — would remain in effect.

In the immediate aftermath of the Pakistani violation, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) responded with calibrated retaliatory fire, asserting its readiness to safeguard civilian and strategic assets along the frontier. Meanwhile, sporadic gunfire continued well into the night across sectors near the Line of Control.

The sudden collapse of the ceasefire has reignited tensions across the subcontinent and drawn strong reactions from political leaders. Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, reacting to the explosions in Srinagar, questioned the sanctity of the ceasefire with a post on X stating, “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!!” In a subsequent message, he confirmed that air defence systems had been activated over central Srinagar.

As ground reports continue to emerge, the Indian security establishment remains on high alert. The prospect of a return to sustained hostilities looms large, with diplomatic channels now under pressure to reassess the viability of further peace efforts in the near term.