Days after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 men, mostly non-Muslim tourists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to pursue the assailants behind the attack to the “ends of the earth”.
India says two of the three “terrorists” involved in the attack were from arch-enemy Pakistan, although Islamabad has denied any involvement.
The nuclear-armed nations have announced several tit-for-tat diplomatic and other measures, but Pakistan has said it expects India to launch a military incursion soon.
What Has India Done Previously?
2019: On February 14 that year, tensions escalated between the neighbours after a suicide car bombing killed 40 paramilitary troops in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
In response, India said its warplanes struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp near the Pakistani town of Balakot in the early hours of February 26.
New Delhi said “a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis … were eliminated”. Later, Indian officials put the number of fatalities at 300 militants.
Pakistan acknowledged that Indian jets had crossed into its territory, but said they bombed a hillside without hitting anything substantial.
As the air forces of the two countries engaged, Pakistan captured an Indian pilot whose MiG fighter jet crashed in enemy territory after a dogfight with a Pakistani JF-17. Pakistan returned the pilot after days of a standoff, and the situation cooled.
2016: On September 18 that year, terrorists stormed an Indian military base in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, near the border, killing 19 Indian soldiers. Pakistan denied Indian charges that it was behind the attack.
Ten days later, India said it had carried out “surgical strikes” on militant bases across the de facto border — the Line of Control (LoC). However, Pakistan denied that any incursion had occurred on its territory.
How Are The Countries Preparing Now?
Pakistani government ministers have said a military incursion by India was imminent and that they have reinforced their defences.
Indian forces have also carried out exercises across various parts of the country.
Troops from the two sides have exchanged small arms fire across their frontier for the past seven nights, but no casualties have been reported so far, India has said.
Comparing Defence Capabilities
India easily outnumbers Pakistan in active military personnel and combat aircraft, but their nuclear arsenal is nearly the same. India has 172 warheads and Pakistan 170.
(With inputs from Reuters)
