Kashmir Conflict: Recent Timeline (April 22-25, 2025)
Kashmir Conflict: Recent Timeline (April 22-25, 2025)
I. Introduction: Escalation in Kashmir
The last few days marked a significant and rapid deterioration in the security situation surrounding the Kashmir conflict. A deadly attack targeting tourists in the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 served as the primary catalyst, shattering a relative calm and triggering a cascade of security responses, diplomatic retaliations, and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. This report provides a factual account of the key events during this week, detailing the attack, the immediate aftermath, and the official decisions announced by both New Delhi and Islamabad. The incident occurred during the peak tourist season, abruptly disrupting India's narrative of increasing normalcy and economic progress in the region.
II. The Pahalgam Attack
A. The Attack
On the afternoon of April 22, 2025, gunmen launched an attack in the Baisaran Valley, a picturesque meadow popular with tourists located approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the resort town of Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The area, often referred to as 'mini Switzerland' due to its lush meadows surrounded by dense pine forests, is accessible primarily by foot or horseback and was not heavily protected. Reports indicate that at least four or five militants, wearing military-style uniforms and armed with weapons including M4 carbines and AK-47s, emerged from the forest around 2:45 pm and opened fire indiscriminately on tourists present in the meadow. Some victims were reportedly shot at eateries in the meadow, while others were taken into the forests and shot. Disturbing accounts suggest attackers checked the identities and religious affiliations of individuals before shooting them at close range, with some reports indicating men were forced to remove trousers to check for lack of circumcision. Video footage captured scenes of panic, with injured victims pleading for help amidst bodies scattered on the ground. Approximately 1,000 tourists and 300 local service providers were estimated to be in the valley when the attack occurred.
B. Victims
The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 26 people and left more than 20 others injured, many seriously. All those confirmed killed were men. The deceased included 23 tourists from various Indian states (including Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh), one local Kashmiri civilian identified as pony operator Adil Hussain Shah, one Nepali national, and one tourist from the United Arab Emirates. The specific targeting of male tourists, particularly reports suggesting Hindu men were singled out, marked a potentially grave shift towards overt sectarian violence, distinct from previous patterns of attacks primarily aimed at security forces or causing indiscriminate harm. Among the victims was an Indian Navy officer from Haryana, killed while on his honeymoon.
C. Responsibility Claim
Responsibility for the massacre was claimed in a social media message by The Resistance Front (TRF), identified as a relatively small group that emerged in Kashmir around 2019 and considered an offshoot of the Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The group's purported statement linked the attack to opposition against the settlement of what it termed "outsiders" in the Kashmir Valley, claiming over 85,000 such individuals had been settled, spurring a "demographic change". This stated motive directly references and challenges Indian government policies enacted since the 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special autonomous status, which eased residency requirements for non-Kashmiris. While Al Jazeera noted it could not independently verify the authenticity of the TRF statement, Indian intelligence agencies later identified Saifullah Kasuri (alias Khalid), described as a top LeT commander, as the mastermind behind the attack. The scale and targeted nature of the violence, representing the deadliest attack on civilians or tourists in the region in years and potentially India's deadliest since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, signaled either a renewed capability for large-scale attacks by militant groups or a strategic decision to escalate by hitting a previously largely spared group (tourists) for maximum impact and disruption.
III. Timeline (April 22-25)
The attack on April 22 triggered an immediate and intense sequence of events, rapidly escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Within hours, India launched security operations and condemned the attack, attributing it to cross-border elements. Pakistan initially offered condolences but quickly shifted to denials and counter-accusations following India's announcement of significant diplomatic and strategic measures on April 23. Pakistan followed with its own retaliatory measures on April 24, leading to a severe diplomatic standoff by April 25.
Table: Key Events (April 22-25, 2025)
IV. India's Response
A. Security Actions
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Indian authorities launched a large-scale security response. A joint cordon and search operation involving the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and Jammu and Kashmir Police commenced to track down the perpetrators, who reportedly fled towards the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range. Indian Army helicopters were deployed in the manhunt. A temporary lockdown was imposed in Pahalgam. As part of the investigation, over 1,500 people were detained for questioning across the region by April 24. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) took charge of the probe, visiting the attack site on April 23. Based on eyewitness accounts, the Jammu and Kashmir Police released sketches of three militants believed to be involved, identifying two as Pakistani nationals and linking them to LeT. In a separate incident during this period, on April 23, an Indian soldier was killed and two others wounded during a gunfight with insurgents in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district.
B. Condemnation and Visits
The attack drew swift and strong condemnation from the highest levels of the Indian government. President Droupadi Murmu termed it "dastardly and inhuman," while Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar called it "reprehensible". Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short an official visit to Saudi Arabia to return to New Delhi. He chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the evening of April 23 and vowed perpetrators would be brought to justice. Home Minister Amit Shah, who pledged a heavy response, travelled to Srinagar to assess the situation and later visited the Baisaran Valley attack site. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the violence and attended the funeral of a local victim.
C. CCS Decisions (April 23)
Following the CCS meeting chaired by PM Modi on April 23, India announced a series of significant measures against Pakistan, citing "cross-border linkages" of the terrorist attack presented during the briefing. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri detailed the decisions:
Indus Waters Treaty (1960): The treaty governing water sharing between the two nations was declared to be held "in abeyance with immediate effect," a suspension conditioned on Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably" abjuring support for cross-border terrorism. This move was unprecedented, as the treaty had survived previous wars and crises since its inception. Suspending it moved beyond typical diplomatic censure, leveraging control over a critical resource for Pakistan and signaling extreme displeasure.
Attari Border Crossing: The Integrated Check Post at Attari was closed with immediate effect. Individuals already crossed with valid endorsements were permitted to return via this route before May 1, 2025.
SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES): Pakistani nationals were barred from travelling to India under SVES visas. All previously issued SVES visas to Pakistanis were deemed cancelled, and any Pakistani national currently in India under such a visa was given 48 hours to leave.
Diplomatic Expulsions: The Defence/Military, Naval, and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared Persona Non Grata and given one week to leave India. Concurrently, India announced the withdrawal of its corresponding advisors from its High Commission in Islamabad, deeming these posts annulled in both missions. Five support staff members for these advisors were also to be withdrawn from both High Commissions.
High Commission Staff Reduction: The overall strength of both countries' High Commissions was ordered to be reduced from the existing level of 55 personnel down to 30, with the reductions to be completed by May 1, 2025.
The CCS statement explicitly framed the attack as occurring "in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development," thereby linking the violence to attempts to derail perceived positive trends under Indian administration. While India asserted "cross-border linkages," citing the TRF's known affiliation with Pakistan-based LeT and the alleged Pakistani nationality of suspects, it did not immediately present public evidence of direct Pakistani state involvement in the attack itself.
V. Pakistan's Reaction
A. Initial Statement (April 23)
Pakistan's initial official reaction came on April 23 via a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Spokesperson. The statement expressed concern "at the loss of tourists' lives" in the Anantnag district attack, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and wished the injured a speedy recovery. This initial response was relatively measured diplomatic language.
B. Denials and Warnings (April 24)
The tone from Islamabad shifted significantly on April 24, following India's announcement of punitive measures. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif publicly rejected India's allegations of Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam attack. He went further, claiming—without providing any supporting evidence—that Pakistan suspected "very strongly that it was a false flag operation" orchestrated by India, possibly as a pretext for suspending the Indus Waters Treaty. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), after which his office released a statement terming India's actions "unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid". Critically, Pakistani officials issued stark warnings regarding the Indus Waters Treaty suspension, stating that any Indian attempt to divert water from the Indus River would be considered an "act of war". This strong language underscored the vital importance of the treaty for Pakistan's water security, elevating it to a potential casus belli. Pakistan's Foreign Secretary, Amna Baloch, also briefed Islamabad-based diplomats on the evolving situation and Pakistan's stance.
C. Retaliatory Measures (April 24)
Following the NSC meeting, Pakistan announced a series of retaliatory diplomatic and logistical measures against India, mirroring many of the steps taken by New Delhi in a clear tit-for-tat pattern:
Wagah Border Closure: Announced the impending closure of the main Wagah land border crossing, though specifying it would remain open until April 30. All Indian citizens in Pakistan (excluding Sikh pilgrims) were ordered to leave within 48 hours.
Airspace Closure: Closed Pakistani airspace to all Indian aircraft.
Visa Suspension: Suspended visas issued to Indian nationals under the SAARC program.
Diplomatic Staff Reduction: Mandated a reduction in the staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to 30 personnel.
Trade Suspension: Suspended all trade activities with India.
Canal Project Pause: Prime Minister Sharif paused a canal irrigation project, a move linked to India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
This rapid sequence, moving from condolences to strong denials, counter-accusations, and reciprocal punitive measures within 24 hours, suggested Pakistan viewed India's response, particularly concerning the water treaty, as highly provocative and disproportionate, locking both nations into a dangerous escalatory spiral.
VI. Fallout
A. Impact on Kashmir
The Pahalgam attack had an immediate and catastrophic effect on the tourism industry in Indian-administered Kashmir, which was experiencing its peak season. Hotels in the popular tourist destination emptied almost overnight as visitors fled. Industry insiders reported that nearly 90 percent of all tourist bookings in the region were cancelled in the immediate aftermath. Tourists crowded the airport in Srinagar seeking flights home, prompting the Indian government to issue an advisory instructing airlines to assist them and waive cancellation or rescheduling fees due to the "unexpected demand". Local business owners expressed deep despair, with one restaurateur stating, "We are condemned forever. I don't think the industry will recover now". The attack effectively crippled a key sector of the local economy, demonstrating its vulnerability to security incidents.
Simultaneously, the attack drew widespread condemnation from within Kashmiri society. Regional politicians, trader guilds, and ordinary citizens held protests and candlelight vigils denouncing the killings. Mosques in some areas reportedly broadcast condemnations. This strong local reaction against the violence targeting tourists highlighted a potential disconnect between the actions of militant groups like TRF and the sentiments of the broader population, who bear the brunt of instability and economic disruption. However, the incident also had repercussions outside Kashmir, with reports of threats and ultimatums issued by a far-right group against Kashmiri students studying in other parts of India.
B. Diplomatic Standoff
By April 25, the situation had evolved into a serious diplomatic crisis and strategic standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Both countries had implemented significant diplomatic downgrades, border restrictions, and trade suspensions. Security forces on both sides were placed on high alert. The attack itself received international condemnation, with world leaders expressing solidarity with India. The rapid escalation and the nature of the measures taken, particularly India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and Pakistan's "act of war" rhetoric, underscored the fragility of the situation and the potential for further conflict.
VII. Peak Tensions
The last days of April 2025 witnessed a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Kashmir conflict, precipitated by the deadly terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam. The attack claimed 26 lives and was attributed by India to cross-border elements, specifically the LeT-affiliated group TRF. India responded with a swift security crackdown and unprecedented diplomatic and strategic measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the 60-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, border closures, visa cancellations, and significant reductions in diplomatic staff. Pakistan, after initial condolences, vehemently denied involvement, leveled counter-accusations of a "false flag" operation, warned against any interference with Indus water flows, and implemented near-symmetrical retaliatory measures, including border and airspace closures, visa suspensions for Indians, diplomatic staff reductions, and a halt to bilateral trade. The week concludes with India-Pakistan relations at a dangerous low point, characterized by a severe diplomatic standoff, heightened military alert, collapsed trade and travel links, and a precarious security situation in the disputed region of Kashmir.
