Srinagar (Agency): For the first time in nearly three weeks, the embattled residents of Jammu and Kashmir’s frontier towns slept through a night free of gunfire, drones, or the distant rumble of fighter jets, the Indian Army confirmed on Monday.
The Army said no ceasefire violations or skirmishes were reported overnight along the border, the Line of Control (LoC), or the International Border (IB) with Pakistan.
The calm follows intense diplomatic and military escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, triggered by the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead.
The attack prompted a robust military response from India, culminating in last week’s precision airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, which, according to the Indian Army, neutralised 100 terrorists across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Residents in Jammu’s frontier districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Samba and Kathua, which had borne the brunt of recent strikes, woke up to a sense of relief.
“The night remained largely peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the international border. No incident has been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days,” an Indian Army spokesperson said in a statement.
In Uri (Baramulla) and Tangdhar (Kupwara) in north Kashmir, which also witnessed heightened aerial surveillance and drone movement over the past two weeks, local police confirmed there were no security alerts or civilian advisories issued overnight.
The de-escalation came after the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan reached an understanding to halt hostilities across land, air and sea. The ceasefire went into effect at 5 pm on Saturday, according to Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Adding an international layer to the truce, US President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that the ceasefire had been brokered by the United States. “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE,” Trump wrote, praising both nations for “showing common sense and great intelligence.”
In a high-level press briefing in New Delhi, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, director general of military operations, detailed the scale and precision of Operation Sindoor. According to Ghai, the operation specifically targeted terror launchpads, training camps, and logistical bases across the border that intelligence agencies linked to long-standing terror networks.
“Operation Sindoor was designed to punish the perpetrators and eliminate terror bases with precision. We struck only identified terrorist sites, ensuring no collateral damage,” Lt Gen Ghai said.
He added that while many of the terror camps were vacated in anticipation of retaliation, the strikes achieved “complete tactical surprise.” Despite the overnight lull, Indian forces remain on high alert. Lt Gen Ghai had warned that while the immediate threat had been neutralized, the broader mission to secure Jammu and Kashmir was far from over.