Pahalgam terror attack: India, Pakistan trade fire across LoC

An official in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has confirmed that both sides exchanged fire overnight along the Line of Control (LoC) that separates India and Pakistan.

"There is post-to-post firing in Leepa Valley overnight," Syed Ashfaq Gilani, a senior government official in Jhelum Valley district in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, told AFP news agency.

Gilani said there was "no firing on the civilian population. Life is normal. Schools are open."

The Leepa Valley is located along the Line of Control (LoC) with India, some 95 kilometers (around 59 miles) east of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's administrative center, the city of Muzaffarabad.

What is the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir?

Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan since the 1947 partition of British India.

A 1972 agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad turned ceasefire lines into a militarized Line of Control (LoC).

The two South Asian countries have fought multiple wars and have engaged in several other smaller border skirmishes over the territory.

The latest commitment by both countries to uphold the ceasefire agreementwas in 2021.

In 2019, Kashmir underwent another change. Since then, the Kashmir has stood divided into the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on the one hand and the union territory of Ladakh on the other.

Pakistan has occupied a smaller part of the region, which is separated from the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir by the LoC.

Pakistan has also occupied another part of the region under the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Kashmir attack intensifies India-Pakistan tensions

Militants gunned down 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday.

Delhi has accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism — something Islamabad has denied. In the wake of the attack, diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have hit rock bottom.

Pakistan warns of 'all-out war' if Kashmir rift escalates

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that worsening tensions with India over Kashmir could lead to an "all-out war" between the two nuclear rivals.

Asif told Britain's Sky News broadcaster that his military had been told to be "prepared for any eventuality" following the killing of dozens of civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir this week.

On Tuesday, 26 tourists were shot dead by militants at a tourist spot near the town of Pahalgam.

India said the attack was carried out by Pakistan-backed militants, while Islamabad has denied responsibility.

As both sides exchanged fire along the Line of Control (LoC) that separates Indian and Pakistan-ruled areas of Kashmir on Friday, Asif said Pakistan would "measure our response to whatever is initiated by India."

He added that in the event of an "all-out attack ... then obviously there will be an all-out war," but also said he hoped the latest dispute could be resolved by negotiation.

Asif then suggested that India had "staged" the shooting in a "false flag" operation, without providing evidence.