Editorial photo #12321607 Unrest, Conflicts and War

India-Pakistan Border Tensions Escalate After Pahalgam Attack

An Indian policeman stands guard near the Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on May 01, 2025. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives the military ''complete operational freedom'' to respond after a deadly attack on tourists in the Kashmir Valley on April 22, which kills 26 tourists. The attack takes place in the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam, where gunmen open fire on a group of tourists. Regional authorities call it the most serious attack on civilians in recent years. Since the incident, security tightens across Kashmir Valley. India and Pakistan exchange fire daily along the Line of Control (LoC), which separates the two sides of Kashmir. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalate, sparking fear and uncertainty in the region. Pakistan closes its airspace to Indian aircraft and warns that any Indian interference with water supplies under a decades-old treaty would be considered an act of war. In response, India reiterates its accusations that Pakistan continues to support ''cross-border terrorism''--a claim Pakistan denies. (Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto)