Pakistan’s military says it shot down an Indian spy drone in the Kashmir region, soon after the country’s defense chief warned that intelligence shows an Indian army incursion is ‘imminent’.
The unmanned drone reportedly breached the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir, Pakistani state-run media said, and it was subsequently shot down amid the air space incursion. Pakistani defense officials described to The Associated Press that the drone flew hundreds of feet into Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif the day prior confirmed the nation’s military is currently on high alert and he had “reinforced our forces” – after multiple days of sporadic exchanges of gunfire along unspecified border posts.
“In that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken,” Asif told Reuters, also ominously describing that Islamabad would only consider using its nuclear arsenal in response to “a direct threat to our existence.”
There’s as yet been no noticeable incursion, and it remains unclear what evidence for this forecast Pakistan’s military and intelligence services might have.
Last Tuesday’s deadly militant attack on tourists in Kashmir, which saw 26 Indian tourists get executed after the gunmen sought to identify Hindus among the group, resulted in the Indian government promptly accusing Pakistan of harboring the Islamist terrorists which committed the atrocity, which Islamabad angrily rejected.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have already fought two historic wars over the Kashmir region, and fears are rising that another one may soon be on the horizon – also after both sides have sent military reinforcements to the respective regions they administer. Amid a massive manhunt, India identified two detained suspected militants as Pakistani.
The New York Times described Saturday that “Pakistani solders fired at an Indian position first and India responded in kind, according to local news reports, which said that “the exchange was brief and that there were no casualties.” Precise locations of these live fire incidents have not been disclosed.
Missile and nuclear saber-rattling has meanwhile ensued:
India’s navy test-fired missiles on Sunday, showcasing its ability to carry out “long-range, precision offensive” strikes, as tensions with Pakistan rise after last week’s terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
“Indian Navy ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to re-validate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems, and crew for long-range precision offensive strike,” the navy posted on X, as the prime minister, Narendra Modi, promised a “harsh response” to the attack at a tourist site, the deadliest against civilians in Kashmir in 25 years.
As for the other side, a Pakistani minister, Hanif Abbasi (though he’s not in defense or security) days ago warned that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal of more than 130 missiles was “not kept as models” and was aimed “only for India … these ballistic missiles, all of them are targeted at you” – The Guardian noted.
The United Nations has urged restraint, and Pakistan has called for an independent investigation into the Kashmir terror attack, which it says it had nothing to do with. It has also called on Russia and China to mediate and assist with a potential investigation.
If gunfire continues to be exchanged between the two militaries, also amid reports that Pakistani visa holders are being promptly booted from the country amid the diplomatic crisis – clashes could accelerate toward open war.
India’s Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has meanwhile said there must be a “decisive fight against terrorism and its origin.” Indian officials have continued to heap accusations that ultimately Islamabad either supports these groups or at least turns a blind eye.
Pakistan ACCUSES India of running terror network
Armed Forces spox claims NO EVIDENCE to suggest Pakistan’s role in Pahalgam attack pic.twitter.com/xwdPOMpWUo
— RT (@RT_com) April 29, 2025
More observations via Rabobank…
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Pakistan just warned of imminent India military action against it in response to a recent terror attack in Kashmir, to which China stated: “As Pakistan’s ironclad friend and all-weather strategic cooperative partner, China fully understands Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests,” with rumours it and Turkey are sending Pakistan weapons.
India will surely be looking for mirroring statements and actions from those who want more trade with it. The UK and the EU aren’t going to provide them; BRICS is a joke given what C just said about I, via P; and that only leaves the US.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 04/29/2025 – 12:20
