Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC for 7th night
What's the story
The Pakistan Army has violated the ceasefire for the seventh night in a row. The unprovoked small firing was reported across the Line of Control toward the Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor sectors in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday night. Responding to the provocations, the Indian Army retaliated promptly. The incident came after India warned Pakistan against the unprovoked violations along the LoC during a call between the director general of military operations for India and Pakistan on Tuesday.
International response
US Secretary of State calls for de-escalation
The breaches of the ceasefire put at risk an agreement that was signed between the nuclear-armed neighbors in 2003 to stop fighting. Both sides had reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement in February 2021, when tensions rose along the 740-kilometer-long de facto border. Amid rising tension, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions.
US
India shuts airspace for Pakistan-registered flights
Indian PM Narendra Modi has already granted "complete operational freedom" to the armed forces for how they want to respond to the Pahalgam attack. India has also shut its airspace for all planes registered, operated, or leased by Pakistan. This includes commercial airlines as well as military flights. The closure is effective from April 30 till May 23, 2025.