India and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after days of attacks

Pakistan and India agreed Saturday to a full and immediate ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks.

US President Donald Trump surprisingly announced the news and congratulated them on using “common sense.”

Officials from Islamabad and New Delhi confirmed the development minutes after Trump posted the announcement on his Truth Social network, as the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours appeared to be spiralling towards a full-blown war.

“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. Congratulations to both countries on using common sense and great intelligence,” Trump posted.

Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said both sides would “stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea” with effect from 5 pm.

In a statement on X, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said: “Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect.”

“Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

An Indian government source told AFP that the ceasefire had been worked out bilaterally.

“The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan was worked out directly between the two countries,” the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Attacks and counter-attacks

The ceasefire comes after four days of attacks and counter-attacks by both sides that killed at least 60 people and saw thousands of civilians flee their homes along their border as well as in divided Kashmir.

The fighting was touched off by an attack last month in the Indian-administered side of Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, mostly Hindu men, which Delhi blamed on Islamabad.

India accused the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba — a UN-designated terrorist organisation — of carrying out the attack, but Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for an independent probe.

Militants have stepped up operations in Kashmir since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government revoked its limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule from New Delhi.

The countries have fought several wars over the territory, which both claim in full but administer separate portions of since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.

Positive step

“The ceasefire is a positive step,” said Bilal Shabbir, an IT consultant in Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“In war, it’s not just soldiers who die, it’s mostly civilians — and in this case, it would have been the people of Kashmir.”

In Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, resident Sukesh Khajuria was more cautious.

“The ceasefire is welcome, but it’s difficult to trust Pakistan. We have to be vigilant,” he said.

Both sides will pay a high price economically for the conflict.

Pakistani military sources claimed its forces had shot down at least 77 Israeli-made hi-tech drones; the debris of some was seen by AFP reporters, while Indian officials said they had destroyed hundreds of Pakistani drones, many Turkish-made.

Pakistan also says it downed five Indian warplanes, including three multi-million dollar French Rafale fighter jets, although New Delhi has not confirmed any losses.

Independent verification of claims by either side has been difficult.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ceasefire came about after he and Vice-President JD Vance engaged with senior officials on both sides.

“I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,” he said on X.

Vance posted on the same platform: “My gratitude to the leaders of India and Pakistan for their hard work and willingness to engage in this ceasefire.”

News of the ceasefire was welcomed in Britain, the Indian subcontinent’s former colonial master and home to a huge diaspora from both countries.

“Today’s ceasefire between India and Pakistan is hugely welcome,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy wrote on X.

“I urge both parties to sustain this. De-escalation is in everybody’s interest.”

© Agence France-Presse