THE President of the United States Donald Trump has announced that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire, following hours of overnight fighting between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Trump announced this on his X handle Saturday night, stating that the ceasefire, set to take effect on Sunday, May 11, followed a lengthy conversation he had with leaders of both countries.
The ICIR reported that the arch-rivals engaged in intense fighting for four days, the worst escalation in nearly three decades.
They exchanged missiles and drones targeting each other’s military installations, resulting in dozens of casualties.
A ceasefire agreement was reached following US diplomatic efforts and pressure, but within hours, artillery fire was reported in Indian-administered Kashmir, the epicentre of much of the recent conflict.
Late Saturday, May 10, India accused Pakistan of violating the ceasefire agreement and stated that its armed forces had been directed to “respond firmly” to any further breaches.
In response, Pakistan affirmed its commitment to the ceasefire and accused India of being responsible for the violations.
By dawn, the overnight fighting and explosions had subsided on both sides of the border, according to Reuters.
Power was restored in most areas along India’s border towns after a blackout the previous night.
Trump commended the leaders of both nations for their decision to put an end to the hostilities.
“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if… a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” Trump said.
The clashes began on Wednesday, two weeks after an attack in Pahalgam, Indian Kashmir, claimed the lives of 26 men, all of whom were Hindu.
The ICIR reports that the two countries, created from British colonial rule in 1947, have fought three wars, two of them over the Kashmir region.
Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan both control parts of Kashmir but claim the entire region.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting an insurgency, which began in 1989 and has claimed tens of thousands of lives in its portion of the Kashmir.
India also holds Pakistani Islamist militant groups responsible for attacks in other parts of the country.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.