2016–2018 India–Pakistan border skirmishes
The 2016–2018 India–Pakistan border skirmishes were a series of armed clashes between India and Pakistan, mostly consisting of heavy exchanges of gunfire between Indian and Pakistani forces across the de facto border, known as the Line of Control (LoC), between the two states in the disputed region of Kashmir. The skirmishes began after India claimed to have conducted surgical strikes against militant launch pads within the Pakistani-administered territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 29 September 2016.[11]
Pakistan rejected the reports that any deep strike had taken place,[12] stating that Indian forces had only engaged in a gunfight with Pakistani troops at the LoC without crossing over into Pakistani territory, an engagement that reportedly resulted in the deaths of two Pakistani soldiers and the wounding of nine.[13][14] Pakistan also rejected India's claims that there had been additional casualties.[15] Following this, Pakistani sources reported that in the 29 September skirmish, at least eight Indian soldiers were killed while one was captured by the Pakistan Army.[5][16] India subsequently confirmed that one of its soldiers was in Pakistani custody, but denied that the mentioned gunfight was linked to the surgical strike incident or that any of its soldiers had been killed in the hostilities.[17]
The Indian operation was said to be in retaliation for a militant attack on an Indian Army base in Uri, in the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, that left 19 Indian Army soldiers dead on 18 September 2016.[18][19] Over the course of the next 20 months, India and Pakistan continued to regularly exchange fire across the LoC in Kashmir, resulting in dozens of military and civilian casualties on both sides.
Aftermath[edit]
Subsequently, the ceasefire along the Line of Control largely held, despite sporadic violations, leading to cautious optimism among Indian officials that it would continue.[223]
Between early August and early September, Pakistan reported four civilians were killed in Indian cross-border shelling.[224][225] In addition, India reported two civilian deaths due to Pakistani fire by the start of October[1][220] and claimed that in retaliation its Army had killed two Pakistani soldiers.[226][227] Despite this, during military talks between India and Pakistan that were held in mid-August, Pakistan expressed satisfaction on the measures being taken along the Line of Control by troops to maintain the ceasefire.[228] Firing continued for the next months, after the end of ceasefire.[229] From November to December, 7 Indian army soldiers were killed by Pakistani sniper fire from across the border.[230][231][232] Indian media reported that there were 2,936 instances of ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018.[233]