The recent India-Pakistan confrontation in May 2025 was sparked by a terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 Hindu tourists. India accused Pakistani nationals and Islamabad of supporting the assailants, while Pakistan denied participation and demanded an impartial probe, according to SCMP.
The strike sparked a four-day military battle, the worst between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in over 30 years.
On May 7, India conducted “Operation Sindoor,” which involved missile and air strikes on nine targets in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and Punjab state, with the goal of reducing Pakistan’s military capabilities and terror infrastructure.
Pakistan replied with cross-border shelling, air strikes, and cyberattacks, increasing the conflict and causing damage to both sides, including air bases and military supply installations. The combat involved fighter jets, missiles, and drones, resulting in dozens of casualties on both sides.
After four days of battle, a cease-fire was declared. US President Donald Trump claimed he mediated the truce and pressed Pakistan into it, a charge strenuously denied by India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Singh declared in a parliamentary debate that India paused its operations because all of its political and military objectives had been met, and that India will not yield to any pressure to end the conflict. He dismissed Trump’s assertion as “baseless and entirely incorrect,” adding that Delhi and Islamabad had mutually decided to stop fighting.
The violence underlined long-standing tensions over Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan area that both India and Pakistan claim in full but rule in part. India accuses Pakistan of assisting Islamist militants in Kashmir, but Pakistan denies this and claims to be just providing diplomatic and spiritual assistance for Kashmiri self-determination.
Domestically in India, opposition parties criticized the government, criticizing intelligence shortcomings prior to the April attack and the secrecy surrounding military losses during the fight. They also questioned the idea that the crisis ended owing to external diplomatic pressure.
The Pahalgam terror incident sparked the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, which witnessed major military escalation before India declared victory and ended operations. The Indian government denies that any external influence, including US mediation, played a role in the conflict’s resolution.
