Escalating Tensions: India and Pakistan's Fierce Border Conflict

India and Pakistan, long-standing rivals in the South Asian region, are once again embroiled in a precarious military conflict, marking the worst escalation in over two decades. Both nuclear-armed nations have exchanged accusations over strikes on civilian sites amidst heavy cross-border shelling.

India declared that its military had targeted nine sites in Pakistan linked to terrorist activities, following a deadly attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir. Pakistan, retaliating, claimed to have shot down Indian fighter jets and denounced the strikes as acts of war.

As global leaders, including U.S. President Trump and the UN Secretary-General, called for restraint, the aftermath of this confrontation left several dead and many injured, raising fears of wider conflict in the traditionally volatile Kashmir region.

(With inputs from agencies.)