Missile Strikes and Deadly Retaliation Rock Kashmir Conflict
Things went from tense to explosive between India and Pakistan this May after a missile strike sent shockwaves through the Kashmir region. On May 7, 2025, India launched missiles at sites it called 'terrorist infrastructure' located in both Pakistan and the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir. Indian officials stuck to the language of restraint, saying the strikes were "measured, non-escalatory, and proportionate." But the action was anything but routine.
This escalation didn't come out of the blue. Just two weeks earlier, a brutal attack targeted Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The massacre on April 22 left 26 dead—most of them Indian tourists and one from Nepal. The country reeled, with media showing haunting images of the aftermath. New Delhi pointed a finger straight at Islamabad, accusing Pakistan of sheltering the group behind the killings. Pakistan fired back just as quickly, calling the accusation unfounded and denying any role in the attack.
The missile strikes set off alarms in Islamabad. Pakistan's forces responded with artillery barrages and claimed to have shot down Indian fighter jets crossing the border. Officials in Islamabad condemned the Indian missile launches as a 'blatant act of aggression' and said the move could not go unanswered. Both sides announced casualties: by the morning of May 8, the death toll on either side had surged past 40. At least 31 people reportedly died in Pakistan during the retaliation, fueling even more anger.
Kashmir Dispute Boils Over as World Leaders Push for Calm
The Kashmir region sits at the heart of this fresh war scare. Since the messy partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, Kashmir has been an open wound—a territory both sides claim, neither can fully control, and where violence never feels far away. The original twist: Kashmir's ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, was Hindu, governing over a mostly Muslim population. His hesitation to join either country left the region to decades of limbo, peppered with armed clashes, insurgencies, and failed peace deals.
The world didn't miss the gravity of the missile exchange. As news broke, major leaders were quick to call for calm. UN Secretary-General Antón Guterres called it a "dangerous moment," urging both sides to avoid further violence. Officials from the U.S.—including former President Donald Trump—China, and Russia joined in, warning that neither country could afford a full-scale conflict. The mere thought of two nuclear-armed nations stepping closer to war had diplomats working overtime.
Experts were split about what comes next. Srujan Palkar, one of the region's close watchers, pointed to the Indus Water Treaty—a decades-old agreement covering vital river-sharing rights—as a possible peace offering. In the past, water disputes have brought New Delhi and Islamabad back to the negotiation table, even when nothing else works. Meanwhile, Shuja Nawaz called the situation "combustible," reminding everyone how quickly border skirmishes can spiral. American analyst Michael Kugelman suggested a new wrinkle: wealthy Gulf countries, with influence over both India and Pakistan, might try stepping in as mediators.
For ordinary people on both sides of the border, though, the geopolitical chess match just means more fear and uncertainty. Every day brings new sounds of shelling or the risk of violence on roads and in villages close to the Line of Control. While leaders debate, the cycle of attacks and counterattacks presses on, leaving long shadows over the region.