Intense cross-border shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops along the volatile Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir has killed at least five civilians overnight, as the military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continues to spiral.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, authorities reported four civilian deaths and 12 injuries during a night of unusually heavy artillery exchanges. Local residents in border towns such as Chakothi described the shelling as more intense than anything witnessed in recent years. “We’re used to hearing exchange of fire, but last night was different,” said Mohammad Shakil, a resident living near the frontier.
On the Indian side, officials confirmed a barrage of mortars, artillery and small arms fire across multiple points in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The Indian military responded in kind, resulting in fierce exchanges that lasted into early Friday. Police said one woman was killed and two civilians were wounded in the Uri sector, raising the death toll in the Indian-controlled region to 17 civilians since Wednesday. Pakistan claims 17 civilians have also been killed in its territory over the same period.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been evacuated from border villages on both sides of the LoC. Emergency shelters have been opened, with many families spending multiple nights away from their homes amid the ongoing exchanges.
The conflict has intensified following an April 22 attack on a popular tourist site in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 civilians—mostly Hindu tourists—dead. India accused Pakistan of supporting the attackers, a claim Islamabad strongly denies.
Since then, India has carried out airstrikes on alleged militant sites in Pakistan, which Islamabad says resulted in 31 civilian deaths. Pakistan claims it downed five Indian fighter jets. India has also reported intercepting multiple Pakistani drone and missile attacks in more than a dozen cities, including Jammu. In retaliation, India said it struck radar and air defense targets near Lahore—claims that could not be independently verified. Pakistan denied launching drone attacks.
Meanwhile, the information front has seen its own escalation. Social media platform X reported that the Indian government ordered it to block more than 8,000 accounts in India, including several linked to international media outlets. X called the directive a form of censorship and a violation of free speech. The company later complied with a legal order and briefly blocked access to its own Global Affairs account in India.
The conflict has already had a wide-reaching impact on civilian life and the economy. The Indian Premier League, the country’s most popular sporting event, has been suspended for one week. In Pakistan, the domestic cricket tournament was relocated to the United Arab Emirates. A cricket match in Dharamsala, attended by over 10,000 fans, was evacuated mid-game due to rising tensions.
Multiple Indian states, including Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir, closed schools for at least two days. The Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed the suspension of flights at 24 northern and western Indian airports. The Indian stock market also took a hit—Sensex dropped 662 points, while the Nifty 50 index fell by 215 points in early trading on Friday.
As calls for calm echo internationally, U.S. Vice President JD Vance downplayed the likelihood of American intervention. “What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit,” Vance said on Fox News. “But we’re not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business.”
With tensions mounting and casualties rising, the world is watching closely—hoping both sides can step back from the brink before the standoff explodes into full-scale conflict.