India and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after days of attacks

Pakistan and India agreed Saturday to a full and immediate ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks.

Officials from Islamabad and New Delhi confirmed the development as the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours appeared to be spiralling towards a full-blown war.

Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said both sides would "stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea" with effect from 5 pm

In a statement on X, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said: "Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect."

"Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.

An Indian government source told AFP that the ceasefire had been worked out bilaterally.

"The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan was worked out directly between the two countries," the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Attacks and counter-attacks

The ceasefire comes after four days of attacks and counter-attacks by both sides that killed at least 60 people and saw thousands of civilians flee their homes along their border as well as in divided Kashmir.

The fighting was touched off by an attack last month in the Indian-administered side of Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, mostly Hindu men, which Delhi blamed on Islamabad.

India accused the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attack, but Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for an independent probe.

Militants have stepped up operations in Kashmir since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist government revoked its limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule from New Delhi.

The countries have fought several wars over the territory, which both claim in full but administer separate portions of since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.

Positive step

"The ceasefire is a positive step," said Bilal Shabbir an IT consultant in Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"In war, it's not just soldiers who die, it's mostly civilians – and in this case, it would have been the people of Kashmir."

In Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, resident Sukesh Khajuria was more cautious.

"The ceasefire is welcome, but we have to be vigilant," he said.

Both sides will pay a high price economically for the conflict.

Pakistani military sources claimed its forces had shot down at least 77 Israeli-made hi-tech drones – the debris of some was seen by AFP reporters – while Indian officials said they had destroyed hundreds of Pakistani drones, many Turkish-made.

Pakistan also says it downed five Indian warplanes – including three multi-million dollar French Rafale fighter jets – although New Delhi has not confirmed any losses.

Independent verification of claims by either side has been difficult.