In the aftermath of one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Kashmir in recent years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly granted the country’s military full operational freedom to strike back—raising fears of a dangerous escalation between two nuclear-armed rivals.
A senior Indian government source revealed that Modi held a high-level closed-door meeting with army and security officials on Tuesday, where he gave the green light for a retaliatory response. “Complete operational freedom has been granted to decide the mode, targets, and timing of our response to the terror attack,” the source confirmed, though they were not authorized to speak to the press.
The move comes after 26 people were killed in the tourist town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. India has squarely blamed Pakistan for the attack, accusing it of harboring and supporting the attackers. Islamabad has denied the accusations.
Meanwhile, tensions on the ground have already erupted. India reported that its forces have exchanged gunfire with Pakistani troops across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Kashmir—five nights in a row. India alleges that Pakistan began “unprovoked small arms firing,” prompting what it called a “measured and effective” response. Pakistan’s military did not confirm the skirmishes but claimed it had shot down an Indian drone that allegedly violated its airspace.
The international community is watching with concern. The United States, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia have all issued calls for restraint. The U.S. State Department said senior diplomat Marco Rubio would speak with both sides to urge de-escalation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres reached out to both Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, offering his office’s “good offices” to support peace efforts.
Sharif responded by asking the UN to advise India to act responsibly, while vowing to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty “with full force in case of any misadventure.”
Modi, however, has shown no signs of backing down. “India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backer,” he said last week. “We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”
Police in Kashmir have issued wanted posters for three suspects—two Pakistanis and one Indian—allegedly connected to the attack and linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant group designated as a terrorist organization by the UN. Authorities have announced a reward of 2 million rupees (about $23,500) for information leading to each man’s arrest and have launched a wide-ranging crackdown on suspected accomplices.
The last time tensions escalated this dramatically was in 2019, when a suicide bombing in Pulwama killed 40 Indian security personnel. India retaliated with air strikes deep into Pakistani territory—sparking fears of war.
As diplomatic pressure mounts and military preparations continue on both sides, the world holds its breath, hoping history doesn’t repeat itself—this time with even more catastrophic consequences.
