The Jammu-et-Cachemire region is at the heart of the conflict, and control has been challenged between the two neighbors since the independence of the British Empire in 1947.
Here's what you need to know about the history of tensions.
1947 – Partition and independence of the British Empire
The clashes on cashmere between India and Pakistan are as old as the countries themselves. When the two countries obtained the independence of Great Britain in 1947, princely states had the opportunity to join Pakistan or India.
The Hindu Maharaja, or Prince, from cashmere, was Hari Singh. Since cashmere was mainly Muslim in the population, but Singh was Hindu, he did not know if he were to be part of India, which is mainly Hindu, or Pakistan, which is mainly Muslim.
The Pakistani tribes invaded the cashmere in October 1947, trying to take control of the state. Hari Singh turned to India to get help and signed the membership instrument. This temporarily incorporated cashmere into India, which would then be subject to a public vote – although no plebiscite of this type finally took place. However, India would later interpret the treaty as the finalclaiming the territory within the framework of India.
This led to the beginning of the First Indo-Pakistani War, which ultimately led to a Ceasefire mediated by the United Nations in 1949Establishing a border by cashmere which shares control between India and Pakistan.
As part of the division, which was created as a temporary border, India received approximately two-thirds of two-thirds on Jammu-et-Cachemire, Pakistan controlling the other third. However, the two countries have always claimed the whole region.
1965 – Tensions continue along a temporary border
Small clashes and disagreements between the two countries continued after 1949, and started improve more in the 1960s. In August 1965, Pakistan launched an invasion called “Gibraltar Operation” in order to arouse rebellion in cashmere. The operation failed, but full of the conflict on cashmere.
Over a few weeks, thousands of Pakistani and Indian soldiers were killed while the two nations finally reached a dead end. A ceasefire was again negotiated by the UNwithout modifying the border of control. The two parties claimed victory while retaining claims on the full territory.
1971 – a third war and a permanent division
Until 1971, Pakistan also included the territory of Oriental Bengal. He became East Pakistan in 1955 and fought for independence in 1971 to become the Bangladesh.
Bangladesh conflict led to a refugee crisis in neighboring India, encouraging Indian intervention In the push of independence and triggered a third war with Pakistan. After a rapid end to this war and this sovereignty for Bangladesh, India and Pakistan tried to further stabilize relations with each other.
In July 1972, The two parties signed the Simla agreementSolidifying the temporary border of cashmere as the “control line”. Although the two countries still claimed authority over the entire cashmere, the control line officially defines the administrative limits of India and Pakistan and remains in place.
1987 – A controversial election followed by violence
It is largely believed that the local elections of 1987 to the cashmere administered by the Indians were faked In favor of Farooq Abdullah, leader of the national Jammu-et-Cachemire party. This led to generalized anger and resentment among the population, a large part of which felt disillusioned by politics and the democratic process.
The following years would see a sharp increase in militant uprising in cashmere, largely of the groups supported by Pakistan in the running for the separation of India. The Jammu-et-Cachemire Liberation Front (JKLF) has been established And, with the support of Pakistan, led the insurrection in the region in the early 1990s. He was later distanting himself with Pakistan, rather pushing for the independence of cashmere.
Other groups still maintain the support of Pakistan, such as Lashkar-E-Taiba (Let). Throughout the 1990s, Let has become the most active and eminent militant group in cashmere.
In 1999, Pakistani soldiers and cashmere activists were seized Several points in the Himalayan region administered by the Indians, causing air -reproduction air strikes and the death of more than 1,000 combatants in 10 weeks.
2000 – violence continues beyond cashmere
After the conflict throughout the 1990s and climbing between India and Pakistan at the end of the decade, cashmere has become one of the most militarized areas in the world. Militant groups had a significant presence in the region, as well as the Indian army.
A number of cashmirian militant groups, mainly supported by Pakistan and appointed as foreign terrorist organizations by the United Statescontinued with attacks in the 2000s.
In 2001, Let and another group, Jaish-e-Mohammed (Jem), coordinated a attack on the Indian parliament in New Delhi, leading to the death of 14 people including five activists. To leave also carried out 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbaiwhich left 166 dead.
2019 – Additional escalation in cashmere
Armed police were the target of the next major attack in cashmereAfter A terrorist Lone Jem Discovered a car full of explosives in a police convoy of the Indian Central Reserve in February 2019, killing 40 Policel.
Later that year, The Indian government has stripped the cashmere of its autonomy status. The authorities cut the Internet and telephone connections in the region, and thousands of soldiers were sent to help repress any potential uprising.
The repression would last for months and towards the end of 2019, A new militant group has been formed called “the resistance front” (TRF). The group has led smaller and targeted attacks of killings of individuals.
2025 – Exchanges of tourist terrorist attack and missiles
April 22 saw the most important escalation in years and increased the conflict between India and Pakistan to worry about Heights as a trade in fresh missile fire.
TRF led a terrorist attack last month in Pahalgam, a popular tourist place, killing 26 people.
India then canceled a long -standing joint management treaty of water resources with Pakistan which also served as a de facto peace agreement, and Pakistan responded by suspend the Simla agreement.
After having followed exchanges of shooting in tit-for-tat through the border on Tuesday, India pulled a total of 24 strikes as part of “the Sindoor operation”, reaching targets in the province of Punjab in Pakistan as well as its administered region of cashmere and killing at least 31 people, according to Pakistani officials.
Pakistan has since responded with its own strikes and fatal artillery fire that continued through the control line.
—Chad de Guzman contributed the reports.
