Pakistan-India: Ceasefire holds. Indian army says military operations chiefs of both countries had contact on Monday

ISLAMABAD / NEW DELHI – In the worst military exchange in decades, India and Pakistan in the last couple of days have launched missiles, drones, and air strikes deep into each other’s territory. Pakistan publicly declared that India had “attacked its territory for the fourth consecutive night,” striking at least three Pakistani air bases – Nur Khan (near Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot) – with drone and ballistic missiles. Islamabad responded on May 10 by announcing Operation Bunyān Marsūs (“a structure of lead”), a major retaliation targeting at least six Indian military sites. The Pakistani strikes reached far beyond the disputed Kashmir frontier, hitting airfields and support depots in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and even Gujarat (Prime Minister Modi’s home state). Both sides claimed to have shot down most of the attackers’ missiles. New Delhi reported that incoming Pakistani drones and rockets were intercepted by its S-400 TRIUMF, Barak-8 and Akash air-defense systems, with only “limited damage” at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, and Bhuj air bases. Islamabad said dozens of its own civilians had been killed by Indian missiles and shelling. 

Amid the exchanges, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to both countries’ leaders and urged them to de-escalate, even offering U.S. assistance to open a dialogue. The crisis formally paused on the afternoon of May 10, when – after intensive U.S.-brokered talks – both sides agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire” effective at 5 p.m. local time. As of Monday, Reuters reports that the ceasefire held and that the Indian and Pakistani military chiefs have coordinated via phone. There were no reports of explosions or projectiles fired on Sunday and Monday overnight.

Timeline of the Escalation 

The recent exchange sprang from a terror attack on April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir, when gunmen killed 26 Hindu tourists (mostly from southern India). India blamed militant groups based in Pakistan for that atrocity. On May 7, New Delhi announced it had carried out precision strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Indian forces called the action “Operation Sindoor,” saying it destroyed dozens of militants. Pakistan denied any fighters were killed but conceded that 33 civilians (including children) died in the attacks. Islamabad vowed retaliation “at a time, place and manner of its choosing,” warning that India would “pay the price” for violating Pakistan’s sovereignty. 

In the nights of May 8–9, Pakistan opened its response. India reported that hundreds of Pakistani drones (armed and loitering munitions) and some missiles penetrated Indian airspace. Air Vice-Marshal Vyomika Singh said India’s multi-layered air defenses – including S-400, Barak-8 and Akash systems – and anti-drone technology successfully shot down most of the threat. India also deployed its own armed drones to hit Pakistani radar sites. Islamabad did not contest these claims but said it had fired rockets at Indian military targets in Jammu and Punjab. Official statements on May 9 asserted that Pakistani jets and drones had struck Indian bases and “civilian areas” in retaliation. Indian counterclaims were vivid: on May 10 New Delhi’s press office asserted Pakistan had launched heavy attacks along the Line of Control and that Indian fighters and SAMs had intercepted “incoming missiles”. By dawn of May 10, both sides were exchanging fresh strikes. 

Pakistan then made its largest move. Islamabad’s military announced Operation Bunyān Marsūs, firing its own jets and missiles at multiple Indian installations. The known targets included Udhampur (Northern Army HQ), Pathankot (Punjab airbase), Uri (army garrison), and storage depots for BrahMos cruise missiles at Nagrota and Beas (both in Punjab). Notably, Adampur airbase in Punjab – which hosts India’s S-400 long-range air-defense system – and Bhuj in Gujarat were also hit. India acknowledged that Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj suffered “limited damage,” but insisted no major destruction occurred. New Delhi said five Indian civilians and soldiers were killed by the Pakistani missile barrage on May 10. Pakistan, by contrast, confirmed dozens of Pakistani civilian deaths from the sequence of Indian airstrikes and cross-border shelling. 

On May 10 afternoon, after hours of shuttle diplomacy, Islamabad’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and India’s officials announced that a ceasefire was in place. A Truth Social post by U.S. President Trump – claiming credit for U.S. mediation – also proclaimed a “full and immediate” truce. The deal halted an acute four-day exchange of fire across a 700-km border, widely seen as the most dangerous since the 1999 Kargil War. 

Historical Background: Kashmir and Past Wars 

Although periodic clashes occur, this surge of strikes far beyond the Line of Control is unprecedented. India and Pakistan have fought four wars since 1947 (1947–48, 1965, 1971 and Kargil in 1999), all centered on Kashmir. In the Kargil conflict of 1999, Pakistani troops secretly occupied mountain posts on the Indian side of Kashmir’s Line of Control; India mobilized its army and eventually expelled the infiltrators after weeks of high-altitude combat. By late 2001, after militants attacked India’s parliament, both armies again faced off in their largest ever mobilization (the 2001–02 standoff). International mediators eventually defused it by October 2002. In recent years, smaller flare-ups have been routine: for example, India publicly launched “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control in 2016 following an insurgent assault in Uri. 

The February 2019 Pulwama attack is a more recent precedent. There, a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary troops in Kashmir, and India retaliated by sending jets to bomb militant camps in Pakistan’s Balakot region. Islamabad insisted the strike had missed all targets, and later that year India revoked Kashmir’s special autonomous status – moves that have fueled long-term tensions. Throughout these episodes, Kashmir has been the flashpoint: “Muslim-majority Kashmir” remains claimed by both nuclear-armed neighbors. In fact, after the 2001–02 standoff, India and Pakistan agreed a 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control to reduce hostilities. That ceasefire was held until earlier this year, when cross-border shelling resumed in the borderlands just weeks before the latest crisis. 

Military Assets and Doctrine 

Military analysts note that both armies have significantly modernized their hardware since the last clash of this scale. India fields Russian-made S-400 TRIUMF long-range anti-aircraft systems, an indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile, and the Israeli-built Barak-8 medium-range SAM – all of which were deployed in the recent fight. The IAF’s fighter fleet (Su-30MKIs, Mirage-2000s, Rafales, etc.) is matched by Pakistan’s (F-16 and JF-17 fighters, plus newly supplied Chinese J-10s). In this conflict Pakistan reportedly fired ballistic missiles (such as Shaheen/Ababeel series) to strike at Indian air bases, while India used cruise missiles (notably the BrahMos supersonic missiles) and precision drones against Pakistani targets. India also unleashed dozens of armed drones in retaliation for Pakistan’s UAV swarm. 

Each side’s actions reflect long-standing doctrines. India officially maintains a “No First Use” policy on nuclear weapons and has articulated a “Cold Start” strategy for rapid conventional counterattacks. Pakistan, wary of India’s superior numbers, has emphasized a “full-spectrum deterrence” that includes tactical nuclear weapons (like the Nasr missile) to deter any Indian push into its territory. Though neither country publicly discusses nuclear use in this conflict, analysts warn that even a conventional miscalculation could risk a nuclear exchange between the two declared nuclear powers. 

Troop mobilization has been vigorous on both sides. Indian officials confirmed that nearly three dozen Pakistani strikes had hit locations across Jammu, Punjab and Gujarat, and warned that Pakistan had moved forces “into forward areas” along the border. Delhi’s armed forces, for their part, put extra troops on alert and reinforced positions in Jammu and Punjab, emphasizing readiness to “counter and respond” to any new Pakistani provocation. Both militaries thus remain at high readiness even as the ceasefire holds. 

International Reaction and Ceasefire 

Global powers reacted swiftly with alarm. The United States, through diplomatic channels, pushed for calm. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (in frequent calls with both countries) and Vice President J.D. Vance offered U.S. assistance in brokering dialogue. In a joint G7 foreign ministers’ statement, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S., the U.K. and the EU strongly condemned the April 22 militant attack that sparked the crisis and urged immediate de-escalation and direct dialogue between India and Pakistan. Even U.S. domestic figures weighed in: U.S. President Trump tweeted that an immediate ceasefire had been agreed (echoed by Pakistan’s foreign minister), while India’s Embassy in Beijing flatly denied Pakistan’s claim to have downed any Indian jets. 

Neighboring powers also stepped in quietly. China (Pakistan’s close ally) has called for restraint and protection of regional stability, though Beijing’s statements have been guarded. The UN Security Council met in closed consultations on May 5 at Pakistan’s request, underscoring concern at an escalation “threatening regional peace and security”. Even Saudi Arabia, traditionally a Pakistan ally, issued cautious pleas for cooling tensions (in line with other G20 and OIC nations). In Islamabad, a national rally on May 10 saw crowds chanting in support of the army’s retaliation, but political leaders emphasized that Pakistan would respect the ceasefire if India did so in turn. 

By the late afternoon of May 10, both governments declared that the barrage of strikes had ended. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and India’s officials each announced a “full and immediate” ceasefire at 5 pm local time. An ABC News report quoted Rubio praising Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif for choosing “the path of peace” in de-escalating. As missiles and drones fell silent, both armies remained deployed near the frontier, wary of further provocation. For now, a tenuous truce holds – but experts warn the underlying conflict over Kashmir endures, and only a sustained dialogue and renewed ceasefire commitments can prevent the bitter rivalry from flaring up again.