Senior military officials from India and Pakistan are scheduled to hold formal talks today following a US-brokered ceasefire that appears to have taken effect after nearly four days of intense cross-border hostilities.
The discussions are expected to focus on operational mechanisms to uphold the truce and prevent further escalation along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto frontier dividing Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Fighting between the two nuclear-armed neighbours erupted late last week following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. India blamed the assault on a Pakistan-based group. Islamabad has denied any involvement.
Both sides reported heavy shelling, drone incursions, and air strikes during the escalation, with conflicting claims of battlefield gains and losses. According to Indian officials, retaliatory strikes were launched on 7 May against nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Indian defence sources say they also struck 11 Pakistan Air Force installations, including a facility near Rawalpindi, and targeted nine training camps belonging to armed groups. India claims that over 100 militants were killed in these operations.
Pakistan, for its part, has acknowledged that some Indian projectiles landed near its air force bases. The Pakistani military has also stated that it conducted strikes on 26 Indian military positions and deployed drones that reached as far as the Indian capital, Delhi. India has not confirmed drone activity over its capital, but acknowledged some Pakistani projectiles reached airbases within its territory.
While both sides have maintained a public posture of restraint since the ceasefire was announced, they have simultaneously declared military success. On Sunday, Indian authorities stated that losses were “a part of combat” but did not confirm specific figures. Islamabad claims it shot down five Indian aircraft, including three Rafale jets, but this has not been verified independently. India has neither confirmed nor denied these losses and stated that all its pilots had returned safely, rejecting Pakistani assertions that one Indian pilot was in custody.
President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire on Saturday, stated that “it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much.” Since the announcement, no further cross-border attacks have been reported. However, both governments have indicated they remain on alert, warning of severe consequences should the ceasefire be violated.
As a sign of cautious de-escalation, Indian authorities announced on Monday the reopening of 32 civilian airports that had been shut amid the security concerns during the hostilities. The airports, which were originally slated to remain closed until Thursday, are located across the northern states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.
Despite the ceasefire, both governments continue to trade accusations. India maintains that Pakistan harbours and supports militant groups operating in Kashmir, a charge that Islamabad denies. Pakistan, in turn, has criticised Indian security operations in the region and called for international intervention to address the underlying Kashmir dispute.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir remains the core of the bilateral dispute. Claimed in full by both countries but administered in part, it has been the flashpoint of two of the three wars fought between India and Pakistan since 1947. The latest episode of violence has once again underscored the volatility of the LoC and the potential for rapid escalation.
In the immediate term, the focus of today’s military-to-military talks will likely centre on reinforcing the ceasefire through communication channels such as hotlines and agreed rules of engagement. Officials from both sides are expected to discuss surveillance protocols, incident response measures, and coordination mechanisms to address any future violations.
While the ceasefire remains fragile, the sustained lull in hostilities since Saturday has provided a window for diplomatic and military engagement. Analysts in the region view the US intervention as instrumental in halting the conflict, though questions remain about the durability of peace in the absence of political progress on the Kashmir issue.
No formal joint statement has been issued by the two governments since the ceasefire took effect. However, both the Indian and Pakistani defence ministries have separately reiterated their commitment to upholding peace along the LoC, contingent upon the other side’s adherence to the truce.
It remains to be seen whether today’s dialogue will lead to a longer-term agreement or merely serve as a tactical pause in a conflict that remains unresolved at its core. For now, the guns have fallen silent, and civilian life on both sides of the border is beginning to resume cautiously. Yet the underlying tensions persist, and the risk of renewed confrontation has not been eliminated.
