MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan: India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire through the night into Thursday morning in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a day after Islamabad said it shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, though jet fighters roared overhead through the mountainous region as villagers along the so-called Line of Control fled to safety.
Meanwhile, members of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party called for more military action, suggesting the conflict still could worsen.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for talks between the two nuclear-armed rivals in a televised address Wednesday, saying: “Considering the nature of the weapons that both of us have, can we afford any miscalculation?“
World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions gripping the contested region since a Feb. 14 suicide car bombing killed over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India responded with an airstrike Tuesday inside Pakistan, the first such raid since the two nations’ 1971 war over territory that later became Bangladesh.
The situation escalated with Wednesday’s aerial skirmish, which saw Pakistan say it shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which crashed in Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir and the other in Indian-administered Kashmir.
India acknowledged one of its MiG-21s, a Soviet-era fighter jet, was “lost” in skirmishes with Pakistan and that its pilot was “missing in action.”
India also said it shot down a Pakistani warplane, something Islamabad denied.
Both Indian and Pakistani officials reported small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region into Thursday. Government buildings in Muzafarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-administered section of Kashmir, were used to provide shelter to those who fled from border towns.
Authorities in Pakistani-administered Kashmir closed all schools and educational institutions in the region and urged parents to keep their children at home amid mounting tension with neighboring India. Pakistan’s airspace remained closed for a second day Thursday, snarling air traffic.
Kashmir has been claimed by both India and Pakistan since almost immediately after their creation in 1947. The countries have fought three wars against each other, two directly dealing with the disputed region.
Pakistan, India trade fire in Kashmir; villagers flee homes
Pakistan, India trade fire in Kashmir; villagers flee homes
- Reportedly there are small-arms fire and shelling along the Kashmir region on Thursday
- World powers have called on the nations to de-escalate the tensions
Pakistan and Muslim nations condemn Israeli raid on UN agency office in East Jerusalem
- Statement follows storming of UNRWA’s headquarters, which UN officials called part of ‘months of harassment’
- Muslim nations cite Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, call for international funding to preserve the agency’s operations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority countries on Friday condemned a raid by Israeli police and municipal officials who forcibly entered the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem last Monday, calling the agency’s work vital to the well-being of Palestinians.
The incident in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood cut the communications of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and resulted in the seizure of furniture and IT equipment, prompting the agency’s top official to describe it as part of “months of harassment.”
Israel has long accused UNRWA of aiding Hamas or allowing its members to operate within the agency — allegations the UN agency denies — and has pushed to curtail its role in Gaza and Jerusalem.
The Israeli raid on its office prompted foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates to issue a joint statement, calling it a “violation of international law.” The leaders of all these countries had discussed the Gaza peace plan with US President Donald Trump in New York in September before it was unveiled.
“The Ministers condemn the storming of the UNRWA headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem by Israeli forces, as this attack represents a flagrant violation of international law and the inviolability of UN premises, which constitutes an unacceptable escalation, and violates the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice dated 22 October 2025, which clearly states that Israel, as an occupying power, is under an obligation not to impede the operations of
UNRWA and, on the contrary, to facilitate them,” the statement said.
“The Ministers stress that UNRWA’s role is irreplaceable,” it added. “No other entity possesses the infrastructure, expertise, and field presence required to meet the needs of Palestinian refugees or to ensure continuity of services at the necessary scale. Any weakening of the Agency’s capacity would have grave humanitarian, social, and political repercussions across the region.”
The statement said UNRWA remained essential to delivering food, relief items and basic services in Gaza as the enclave faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. It noted the UN General Assembly’s recent vote to renew the agency’s mandate for another three years reflected broad confidence in its work.
UNRWA, established in 1949 under UN General Assembly Resolution 302, provides education, health care, social services and emergency aid to millions of Palestinian refugees across its areas of operation.
Its mandate has been repeatedly renewed in recognition of the absence of a political settlement that would resolve the refugee question.
