Ceasefire Breach at LoC: India Responds Strongly as Tensions with Pakistan Escalate

In a major escalation of tensions, Pakistan Army troops opened fire at multiple locations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, just hours before Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi’s scheduled visit to Srinagar and Udhampur. The firing, reportedly an attempt to breach the existing ceasefire agreement, prompted an effective and immediate retaliation by the Indian Army. According to sources, small arms were used in several locations. General Dwivedi is expected to review the current security situation, discuss ceasefire violations, and hold meetings with top Army commanders and security officials in the Kashmir Valley. The ceasefire breach comes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people and pushed India to take a hard stance against Pakistan. In response to the attack and Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 during a high-level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah. India also shut down the integrated Attari Check Post, expelled several Pakistani High Commission officials by declaring them persona non grata, and revoked all visas issued under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), ordering Pakistani nationals to leave India within 48 hours. Pakistan reacted strongly, rejecting the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and warning that any move to block or divert water flows would be considered an “act of war.” The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs water-sharing between the two nations and allocates the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — to India, and the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — to Pakistan. Though part of the river system, the Kabul River does not flow through Indian territory. As these rivers are crucial for the water security of both countries, the rising tensions could have far-reaching implications for regional peace and stability.