- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sun, 11 May 2025 08:29 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Tensions continue to brew between India and Pakistan as even after an unexpected ceasefire agreement on Saturday. Hours after the understanding was reached, the Pakistan Army resorted to fresh attempts to target Indian cities in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan using drones and missiles, an act to which the army responded adequately and appropriately.
This has led to skepticism about what lies ahead. The escalation between India and Pakistan started in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and especially after Operation Sindoor. Here is the entire timeline of what has happened so far.
Timeline of events
-April 22: Pakistan-backed terrorists, associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF), killed civilians based on their religious identity in Baisaran Valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
-April 23: India took diplomatic measures against Pakistan and held the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance. The short-term visas of Pakistani nationals, except diplomatic ones, were also revoked. Pakistan, on the other hand, started ceasefire violations.
-April 24: Pakistan held all bilateral agreements, including the 1972 Simla agreement, in abeyance and ended all trade relations with India. It also closed its airspace for Indian airlines and flights.
-April 25: The government held an all-party meeting and briefed the opposition about India's preparations and the steps that had been taken until then.
-April 29: PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting with Defence Minister, CDS Gen Anil Chauhan, and chiefs of all three forces. The forces were given full operational freedom to choose the timing and nature of retaliation.
-April 30: India closes its airspace for Pakistani airlines and flights.
-May 2: India bans imports from Pakistan. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a separate notification banning the import and transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, even via a third country.
-May 3: India banned Pakistan-flagged boats and ships from entering Indian waters or accessing Indian ports.
-May 7: India launched Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam attack on the intervening night of May 6-7 at around 1:40 am. Organisational headquarters, camps, and launchpads of terrorist organisations, line Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen, were destroyed in strikes in Pakistan's Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 100 terrorists, including the family of Masood Azhar and the mastermind of IC814 hijacking, were neutralised.
-May 8: Pakistan strikes with 300 to 400 drones, including Turkish-made Asisguard SONGAR, on 36 Indian cities and started artillery firing across the LoC and the International Borders. India neutralised threats in the air with its air defence guns and retaliated with counterstrikes.
-May 9: India retaliates against Pakistani bases and destroys HQ-9 air defence systems in Lahore. The night was long as Pakistan resorted to a wave of swarm drones, loitering munitions, and Fatah missiles targeting 26 locations. India successfully neutralised most of them and launched a counter-strike.
-May 10: The Indian Air Force targeted eight Pakistan Air Force bases in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot.
-May 10 (Afternoon): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with PM Modi, NSA Doval, and their Pakistani counterparts. After that, Pakistan's DGMO called the Indian DGMO, and a consensus on a ceasefire understanding was achieved.
-May 10 (Evening): Pakistan violated the ceasefire understanding and launched a swarm of drones and opened fire.