The Pakistan Army on Tuesday shot down an Indian quadcopter drone near the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), state media reported, as tensions between the two countries linger on in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, reports DAWN.
The April 22 attack killed 26 men, mostly tourists, and was one of the deadliest armed attacks in the disputed Himalayan region since 2000. Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, said it "unequivocally" denied involvement in the attack, after an initial message that claimed responsibility.
India, without offering any evidence, has implied cross-border linkages of the attackers, while Pakistan has strongly denied any involvement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a neutral probe into the incident.
"Pakistan has successfully shot down an Indian quadcopter along the Line of Control, thwarting a violation of its airspace," state-run Radio Pakistan and PTV News reported, citing security sources.
Specifying the location, security sources said the "enemy attempted to conduct surveillance using a quadcopter" in the Manawar sector of Bhimber district in AJK.
"The Pakistan Army, through timely action, foiled this nefarious attempt by the enemy," the report added.
The security sources termed the incident a "clear testimony to the vigilance, professional skill and defensive preparedness of the Pakistan Army".
"The Pakistan Army is always ready to give an immediate and effective response to any aggression from the enemy," the report read, adding that the entire nation stood "united with the armed forces to give a befitting response to the enemy on every front".
The development comes as Indian and Pakistani soldiers reportedly traded fire along the LoC for a fifth straight night, after four years of relative calm.
The Indian army said its soldiers and Pakistani forces fired at each other overnight. There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan.
India said that overnight from Monday to Tuesday, the gunfire took place in areas opposite the Kupwara and Baramulla districts in held Kashmir, as well as in the Akhnoor sector.
There were no reports of casualties.
In the latest of this heated debate, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif yesterday said Pakistan was ready for any incursion by India.
"We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. So in that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken," Asif told Reuters.
He said the military had briefed the government on the possibility of an Indian attack, but did not go into further details on his reasons for thinking an incursion was imminent.
In an interview with Samaa TV, Asif warned there was a "war looming on the horizon", and later told Geo News that the "next two to three days were crucial".
Since the Pahalgam attack, the nuclear-armed nations have unleashed a raft of measures against each other.
India on April 23 unilaterally suspended the critical Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) — a water-sharing agreement that was brokered by the World Bank and has endured through wars and decades of hostility.
The next day, Pakistan retaliated by threatening to put the Simla Agreement in abeyance and closing its airspace for Indian flights. The National Security Committee (NSC) in Islamabad also called on India to "refrain from its reflexive blame game".
India has said today (Tuesday) is the deadline for Pakistani citizens to leave.
Calls have also grown from Indian politicians and others for military action against Pakistan. Analysts say they fear bellicose statements will escalate into possible military action.
UAE joins chorus favouring Pak-India dialogue
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has joined other countries in stressing the importance of "promoting dialogue" to defuse tensions between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.
UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar today, discussed the recent regional situation and matters of mutual concern, the Foreign Office (FO) said on X.
Dar apprised the UAE official of the decisions made by Pakistan's National Security Committee last week in response to "India's unfounded allegations, inflammatory rhetoric and unilateral actions".
The UAE deputy PM "emphasised the importance of upholding regional stability, promoting dialogue, exercising restraint and peaceful resolution of disputes", according to the FO.
"Reaffirming the strong fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE, both leaders committed to maintaining close coordination and consultations in light of [the] evolving regional situation."
Both deputy premiers also expressed their countries' resolve to "enhance bilateral cooperation and advance shared objectives of peace, stability, and sustainable development", the FO stated.
Other friendly countries and global powers have also sought de-escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India — including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Turkiye, and Qatar.
Yesterday, China said it hoped the two sides would "exercise restraint, meet each other halfway, properly handle relevant differences through dialogue and consultation, and jointly maintain regional peace and stability".
Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called for a swift de-escalation of the brewing crisis, Anadolu Agency reported on Monday.
"We want the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India to be de-escalated as soon as possible, before they evolve into a more serious situation," Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.
"Türkiye emphasises at every opportunity that we do not want new conflicts in our region and beyond," he stressed.
The United Nations has urged the arch-rivals to show "maximum restraint" so that issues can be "resolved peacefully through meaningful mutual engagement".
Iran has already offered to mediate, and Saudi Arabia has said Riyadh was trying to "prevent an escalation". US President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed tensions, saying the dispute will get "figured out, one way or another".
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