radioworldtoday
Top military officials from India and Pakistan are due to speak later on Monday to discuss finer details of the ceasefire agreed between them on Saturday.
The US-brokered ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours appears to have held overnight after nearly four days of intense shelling and aerial incursions from both sides.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, saying “it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much”.
Both nations have ceased hostilities since then but say they remain vigilant, warning each other of the consequences of violating the ceasefire.
The tensions were the latest in the rivalry between the neighbours who have fought two wars over Kashmir, a Himayalan region which they claim in full but administer in part.
The recent hostilities threatened to turn into a full-fledged war as both countries appeared unwilling to back down and threatened to escalate if the other didn’t relent.
Both countries have said that dozens of people from both sides died over the four days of fighting last week, partly due to heavy shelling near the de facto border.
After the ceasefire, however, both the rivals declared military victory.
On 07 May, India reported striking nine targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in response to the deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists.
India blamed a Pakistan-based group for the attack but Islamabad denies any involvement.
In the days since the first strike, India and Pakistan accused each other of cross border shelling and claimed to have shot down rival drones and aircraft in their airspace.
As the conflict escalated, both nations said they have struck the rival’s military bases.
Indian officials reported striking 11 Pakistan Air Force bases, including one in Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad. India also claimed Pakistan lost 35-40 men at the Line of Control during the conflict and the neighbour’s air force lost a few aircraft.
Pakistan has accepted some Indian projectiles landed up at its air force bases.
Indian defence forces have also said that it struck nine armed group training facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing more than 100 militants.
Pakistan military, in turn, claims it targeted about 26 military facilities in India and its drones hovered over Delhi.
India has also accepted some Pakistani projectiles landed up at its air force bases.
Pakistan also claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, including three French Rafales – which India has not acknowledged, though it said that “losses are a part of combat”.
Pakistan denied the claims that an Indian pilot was in its custody after she ejected following an Indian aircraft crash. India has also said that “all our pilots are back home”.
