For now, silence reigns along the volatile India-Pakistan frontier following a three-night ceasefire, but the calm belies a dangerous new reality. The spark: India’s airstrikes on May 7, dubbed Operation Sindoor, targeting alleged terror sites across Pakistan in retaliation for the April 22 massacre of 26 in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Pakistan denied involvement, but escalation was swift and severe.
Over four days, missiles and drones crossed borders in waves, hitting military bases far beyond Kashmir, including urban targets in Punjab on both sides. Experts warn: this conflict wasn’t just military—it shattered decades-old “red lines.”
US President Donald Trump claimed credit for brokering the truce, using trade pressure as leverage. His public role breaks India’s long-standing resistance to third-party mediation in Kashmir, despite PM Modi denying Trump’s involvement and stating India had only “paused” its strikes.
The fallout extends beyond missiles. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty—long a symbol of fragile cooperation—hinting at deeper hostilities. Modi’s fiery speech implied a shift: no more distinction between militants and their alleged state sponsors, raising fears of future direct strikes on Pakistani military infrastructure.
Both sides now operate in a zone of “armed coexistence,” with little space for diplomacy. Analysts warn that even a single future incident could spiral into full-scale war—especially dangerous in a nuclear-armed region.
With red lines erased and tempers high, this uneasy ceasefire may be just the eye of a geopolitical storm.
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