Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
On May 7, the Indian armed forces launched a strategic attack on nine targets linked to the UN-designated terrorist groups Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, located in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Vikran Misri, India's Foreign Secretary, said the decision was made to carry out the "proportionate" strikes to bring the terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice as Pakistan had failed to act against terrorist infrastructures under its control.
By midnight, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in New Delhi amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, and will hold wide-ranging talks with Indian officials.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "It is not our intention to escalate this situation," during a meeting with Araghchi on May 8.
On May 8, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, arrived in India on an unannounced visit with an aim to de-escalate the tensions between the two nuclear nations.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, "We will avenge the blood of our innocent martyrs" after at least 31 people were reported killed and dozens wounded in India's attack on Punjab province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The fragile equilibrium of South Asia teeters on the edge of crisis as India and Pakistan engage in military conflict, igniting fears of a regional crisis with global repercussions. The latest escalation, marked by targeted strikes and retaliatory measures, has thrust the nuclear-armed neighbors into a perilous standoff, drawing urgent calls for restraint from the international community.
In a bold response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir, India launched Operation Sindoor, a meticulously coordinated military offensive targeting nine terrorist hubs. Indian defense officials confirmed the strikes focused on camps linked to groups designated as terrorist organizations by the UN. Crucially, New Delhi emphasized that no Pakistani military installations were hit, framing the operation as a counterterrorism measure rather than an act of war.
Pakistan denounced the strikes as a "blatant violation of sovereignty" and retaliated swiftly, claiming to have shot down two Indian fighter jets near the Line of Control. Islamabad reported 26 civilian fatalities and 46 injuries in the cross-border attacks, accusing India of recklessly endangering non-combatants.
According to the U.S. State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism 2022 (released in November 2023), "In 2022, Pakistan took steps to counter terrorism financing and restrain some India-focused terrorist groups." However, it "has yet to complete its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organizations without delay or discrimination". The report notes Pakistan's successful May 2022 prosecution and sentencing of a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba leader, as well as counterterrorism operations conducted by military, paramilitary, and civilian security forces. It reports that some madrassas (religious schools) continue to teach extremism. Although Pakistan's 2014 National Action Plan to counter terrorism seeks to ensure that no armed militias are allowed to function in the country, several United Nations- and U.S.-designated terrorist groups continue to operate from Pakistani soil.
The international response has been swift and fraught with anxiety. Russia, a longstanding ally of India, urged "immediate de-escalation", while Turkey warned that New Delhi's actions risked triggering an "irreversible regional war". Azerbaijan joined the chorus, condemning civilian casualties as "unacceptable collateral damage".
Meanwhile, Iran emerged as a potential mediator, with Araghchi shuttling between New Delhi and Islamabad to broker dialogue. "The stakes are too high for brinkmanship," Araghchi declared, underscoring the catastrophic risks of miscalculation. The United States issued a stark travel advisory, urging citizens to avoid the India-Pakistan border amid fears of further hostilities.
The conflict's ripple effects are already destabilizing regional logistics. Both nations suspended visa services indefinitely, while major airlines-- including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and British Airways-- diverted flights to avoid contested airspace. The economic toll on trade and tourism remains incalculable, with supply chains for critical commodities like textiles and pharmaceuticals facing disruption.
Analysts warn that the current crisis carries echoes of the 2019 Balakot strikes, but with a far darker undercurrent: both nations possess nuclear arsenals, and rhetoric on both sides has grown increasingly combative. Sharif vowed to defend "every inch of soil", while Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that "terrorism will be met with unrelenting force".
Historically, India and Pakistan have relied on backchannel diplomacy to defuse tensions, but the breakdown in communication this time-- coupled with domestic political pressures-- has left little room for compromise.
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