Tensions over Kashmir Worsen with Indian Army Base Attack

A militant group believed to be Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked an Indian army base in the town of Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, near the Line of Control, on September 18. Seventeen Indian soldiers and ten assailants were killed as a result of the attacks, which have been described as one of the worst assaults on the Indian armed forces so far.

The Indian Army claims that the militants came from Pakistan, across the Line of Control. This incident, coupled with the small arms fire that occurred on the Line of Control on September 20, has greatly increased diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan. The actions of the terrorists sparked international criticism, alongside accusations about Pakistan’s role in the attack.

Many nations have joined India in placing the blame on Pakistan for allowing Jaish-e-Mohammed to operate within its borders, which allowed the group to cross into India. Russia, France, and Germany used pro-Delhi rhetoric in their statements, which condemned the Uri attack and, either directly or indirectly, Pakistan. In its response to these accusations, the Pakistani government focused on the unrest in Indian Kashmir and the questionable human rights situation there rather than its own role in the attack.

Modi and the Indian government declared that they were ready to respond to Pakistan and were willing to use military action following the recent attack. The Indian Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, went so far as to tweet on the day of the attack: “I am deeply disappointed with Pakistan’s continued and direct support to terrorism and terrorist groups.” India and Pakistan have gone to war four times since the partition. The current situation appears to be drawing the two nations into direct conflict once again.

Indian Kashmir has been engulfed in violence following the death of Burhan Wani, a pro-Kashmiri independence militant leader. Both India and Pakistan claim the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, whose leaders wished to maintain sovereignty at the time of independence. India controls most of the state’s territory, but both nations refuse to acknowledge the other’s claim. The Uri attack drags Pakistan into the latest unrest between the Indian government and Kashmiri independence supporters, once again making it into a three-way struggle.