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By John Feng and Shane Croucher
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Pakistan said its army shot down an "Indian drone" that was trying to violate its airspace along the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that separates disputed Kashmiri territory between the two nuclear-armed rivals, according to the country's state-run television.
The drone flew hundreds of feet into Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, three Pakistani security officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Newsweek has contacted the office of Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
The India-Pakistan tensions have flared in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Visas have been canceled, and India has threatened to cut Pakistan's water supply, among other measures.
India has described the massacre as a "terror attack" and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan has denied any connection to the attack, and it was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance.
As tensions escalate, cross-border firing between soldiers of India and Pakistan has also increased along the Line of Control.
The latest clashes follow a warning by Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif that the country believes an Indian attack could be "imminent" and that it would consider using its nuclear arsenal in response to "a direct threat to our existence."
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What To Know
Asif said Pakistan was now on high alert and had "reinforced our forces."
"In that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken," Asif told Reuters in an interview at his office in Islamabad.
He added that the country would only consider using its nuclear arsenal in response to "a direct threat to our existence." Asif did not elaborate on why he believed an incursion was coming.
The Indian Army accused Pakistan of unprovoked small-arms fire along the Line of Control overnight on April 29, and said it gave a measured response, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.
Indian government forces in the Kashmir region have detained and questioned nearly 2,000 people, officials and residents said.
Many of the detained are former rebels fighting against Indian rule and others who officials describe as "over ground workers" of militants, a term authorities use for civilians suspected of associating with insurgents.
Indian soldiers have demolished the family homes of at least nine suspected militants across Kashmir, using explosives.
The region's top pro-India leaders have supported action against suspected militants but also questioned the demolitions.
Split between India and Pakistan, the region is claimed by both in its entirety. New Delhi describes all militancy in Indian-controlled Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism.
Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a homegrown freedom struggle.
Some tourists who survived the Pahalgam massacre have told Indian media that the gunmen singled out Hindu men and shot them from close range. The dead included a Nepalese citizen and a local Muslim pony ride operator.
What People Are Saying
Omar Abdullah, the region's chief minister, said Monday that any heavy-handed tactics against civilians should be avoided. "We should not take any step that will alienate people," Abdullah told the region's lawmakers during a legislative session.
Ruhullah Mehdi, a lawmaker from the region in India's national Parliament, termed the demolitions of homes as "collective punishment."
A State Department spokesperson said: "This is an evolving situation, and we are monitoring developments closely. We have been in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan at multiple levels. The United States encourages all parties to work together toward a responsible resolution."
Michael Kugelman, a leading South Asia analyst, described the attack in Pahalgam to Newsweek as a "game-changer," saying: "It shatters the relative calm prevailing in Kashmir in recent years, and in so doing, it punctures the Indian narrative that normalcy—including stability—has been restored in a highly restive region.
"It's also the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which Indians regard as their 9/11. Given the scale and targeting of this attack, it's all but assured that India will respond with muscle."
What Happens Next
The U.S. will need to balance its support for India with calls for restraint from Pakistan. With both nations holding nuclear weapons, the risk of escalation is high, and clashes along the Line of Control are expected to continue in the short term at least.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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