India-Pakistan standoff deepens after Kashmir attack: Key developments
Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated following a deadly attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir region that left 26 people dead.
The assault occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Baisaran Valley, known as ‘mini Switzerland’. The Resistance Front, a militant group believed to be linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has reportedly claimed responsibility, prompting New Delhi to accuse Islamabad of supporting cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has denied any role in the attack, instead accusing New Delhi of oppressing the region and its majority-Muslim population.
Relations between Islamabad and New Delhi have been tense for decades. The two neighbors have fought four wars, including one undeclared, and have had numerous border skirmishes.
Since Tuesday’s attack, the two nations have taken sweeping steps to further downgrade diplomatic and trade ties. Relations were already in a deep freeze from 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government abrogated Article 370 of the constitution, which had granted a degree of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.
India moved first this week, expelling Pakistani diplomats, closing its land border, and suspending the key Indus Waters Treaty on Wednesday, saying the move would remain in effect “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
Islamabad issued a reciprocal response on Thursday, suspending key bilateral agreements and cross-border routes, closing its airspace to all Indian-owned or operated airlines, and declaring India’s defense, naval, and air advisers in Islamabad persona non grata.
25 April 2025
16:44 GMTThis live stream has ended.
- 15:08 GMT
WATCH: The father of Indian Navy officer Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the terrorist attack in Kashmir, performed his son’s last rites by immersing his ashes in the Ganga. Vinay Narwal, 26, was married just six days before the incident and was on his honeymoon with his wife at the time of the attack.
True Pain. True Anguish. 🇮🇳💔The father of Navy Officer Vinay Narwal performs last rites for his child. Today, he immersed the ashes of his son in the Ganga. 📹 @MrSinha_pic.twitter.com/T40Kpay3zX
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) April 25, 2025 - 15:08 GMT
Indian intelligence agencies have warned of new threats targeting non-locals, including tourists, police personnel, and railway employees, particularly in the Srinagar and Ganderbal districts of Jammu and Kashmir, according to CNN-News18, citing sources.
- 14:13 GMT
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has offered Tehran’s support in promoting dialogue between Pakistan and India amid rising tensions. In a post on X, Araghchi stated that Iran “stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater understanding at this difficult time,” describing both countries as “brotherly neighbors” with deep cultural ties.
India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbors of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties. Like other neighbors, we consider them our foremost priority. Tehran stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater… pic.twitter.com/5XsZnEPg2D
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 25, 2025 - 13:43 GMT
Director of US National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has expressed solidarity with India following the deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir. In a post on X, Gabbard offered prayers for the victims and pledged support to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian people in pursuing those responsible for the “heinous attack.”
We stand in solidarity with India in the wake of the horrific Islamist terrorist attack, targeting and killing 26 Hindus in Pahalgam. My prayers and deepest sympathies are with those who lost a loved one, PM @narendramodi, and with all the people of India. We are with you and…
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) April 25, 2025 - 13:33 GMT
A search operation to capture three escaped terrorists in the Udhampur forests has entered its second day, according to an unnamed security official, cited by The Times of India. Combing operations are underway in Udhampur district and nearby Kishtwar, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch.
The Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) special units have reinforced a multi-layered cordon around the Dudu-Basantgarh area to locate the suspects, the source told the outlet. - 13:03 GMT
Protests have been held in several cities and towns in India against the attack in Kashmir that claimed 26 lives.
In a show of solidarity and condemnation, Muslims in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad wore black armbands to their Friday prayers as a protest against the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir, media reports said.
#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir: People hold a protest against the #PahalgamTerrorAttack in Anantnag. pic.twitter.com/aRPGp38F6I
— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2025In the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, local tour operators, hoteliers and citizens held protests, according to a Hindustan Times report. Armed with placards, they chanted slogans and condemned the attackers.
On Thursday several protestors raised slogans outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. The demonstrators called for strong action against Pakistan, alleging that the country was supporting and sponsoring terrorist activities in India.
- 11:18 GMT
The Russian Embassy in Islamabad has warned citizens to not travel to Pakistan.
“Against the backdrop of a new round of escalation in Pakistan-India relations and bellicose rhetoric coming from a number of officials, we would recommend that Russian citizens temporarily refrain from visiting Pakistan until the situation stabilizes,” the embassy said in a social media post on Friday.❗️На фоне нового витка эскалации в пакистано-индийских отношениях и воинственной риторики, звучащей из уст ряда официальных лиц, рекомендовали бы гражданам России временно воздержаться от посещения Пакистана до тех пор, пока обстановка не стабилизируется pic.twitter.com/VEXgDtBj4X
— RusEmbassy_Pakistan (@RusEmbPakistan) April 25, 2025 - 11:03 GMT
Pakistan’s Senate on Friday unanimously passed a resolution against India’s attempt to link it to the deadly attack in Kashmir.
The resolution, introduced by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, stated that Pakistan was equipped and prepared to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to a report by The Dawn. - 10:29 GMT
Former Indian Army Chief General Shankar Roychowdhury has claimed that the terror attack in Kashmir was the result of an “intelligence failure,” adding that someone must be held accountable, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
Indian opposition parties have also called for accountability for the alleged security lapses that led to the attacks this week, but expressed full support to the Narendra Modi government for its future course of action.
