Amritsar Attack Escalates Tensions Between India and Pakistan
The conflict has sparked fears of an escalating war between the two nuclear-armed countries, with the international community calling for a swift de-escalation. Diplomatic channels may eventually lead to a resolution, but for now, the situation remains volatile, with both countries exchanging fire across the line of control.
Maulana Masood Azhar, the chief of Jaish-e-Muhammed, has confirmed the death of 10 family members in an Indian attack on a Deobandi seminary in Bahawalpur, sparking fears of an escalating conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries.
The attack, which was part of a broader Indian operation targeting militant positions across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has been met with a strong response from Pakistan. Pakistani experts believe that a retaliation from Pakistan is inevitable, and diplomacy will come into play. The situation has already resulted in heavy firing between Indian and Pakistani forces across the line of control, with at least 12 civilians killed on the Indian side and 5 on the Pakistani side.
India has claimed that the strikes targeted terrorists and terrorist training camps, but Pakistan denies the existence of any such camps. The conflict has raised fears of an escalating conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries, with the international community, including the US, UK, China, Iran, and UAE, calling for a swift de-escalation of the conflict. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to "avenge each drop of blood" after India's airstrikes killed 31 people, including children, and injured dozens more.
The situation is complex, with both countries walking a fine line between escalation and restraint. India has barred all Pakistani aircraft from its airspace, while Pakistan has suspended a 1972 peace treaty and taken its own retaliatory measures. Diplomatic channels may eventually lead to a de-escalation, as they did after the 2019 Pulwama attack. However, the current situation remains volatile, with thousands of residents near the border forced to evacuate to safer areas.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the conflict will be resolved. One thing is certain, however: the amritsar attack has escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, and the international community is watching with bated breath.