CNN: India And Pakistan One Step Away From All-out War
- 7.05.2025, 12:49
Kashmir, which has become the epicenter of the new standoff.
India's May 7 operation against Pakistan was the largest and most dangerous escalation in the standoff between these nuclear-armed countries in more than 50 years and brought them to the brink of full-scale war, writes the US-based CNN.
"Indian jets have previously bombed Pakistani territory during flare-ups of the standoff, but the May 7 operation is India's deepest strike on the neighboring country since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, the largest of a string of wars between the two countries," the U.S. channel reminds.
The locations hit included the city of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan's Kashmir, the localities of Bagh and Kotli in the same region, and the cities of Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistan's Punjab province.
The Sindhur operation announced by India was also the first time since 2019 that India has struck Pakistani territory. Back then, Indian jets struck several Pakistani locations after India held Pakistan responsible for a suicide car bomb attack that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary forces in the region.
The current escalation puts "neighbors with a long history of conflict" in a precarious position as Pakistan promises to retaliate to India's strikes, which ultimately risks escalating the conflict "into a full-scale war," CNN notes.
"The situation now is obviously serious - Retaliation [by Pakistan] for India's actions is now likely to be unstoppable."
CNN reminds us that Kashmir, which has become the epicenter of the new standoff, is "one of the world's most dangerous hotspots." It is partially controlled by India and Pakistan, but both countries claim it outright.
"India and Pakistan have fought three wars over this mountainous territory since independence from Britain in 1947, the most recent in 1999. And the divided region is now one of the most militarized places in the world," CNN writes.
For decades, armed groups demanding either Kashmir's independence or the territory's annexation to Pakistan have battled Indian security forces. Violence in the long-running conflict has left tens of thousands dead.
"India has long accused Pakistan of sheltering these militant groups - though Islamabad denies the allegations - and has vowed revenge against those it holds responsible," adds CNN.