Media: India, Pakistan exchange fire along Kashmir border for fourth straight night

India has reported that it responded to "unprovoked" small arms fire from Pakistan along the de facto Kashmir border on April 27, marking the fourth consecutive night of clashes between the two nations. 

This escalation comes as India intensifies its operations against militants in the region following the deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir on April 22, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

In the wake of the attack that killed 26 people, India has identified two of the three suspected militants as Pakistani nationals, though Islamabad has denied any involvement, calling for an independent investigation.

Security officials and survivors have reported that the militants separated the men at the scene, a meadow in the Pahalgam area, before targeting Hindus and executing a close-range shooting spree.

The attack has sparked widespread outrage in Hindu-majority India, with many calling for swift action against Pakistan, which New Delhi accuses of financing and supporting terrorism in Kashmir, a disputed region both nations claim and have fought wars over.

In retaliation, India has taken several punitive measures, including putting the vital Indus Waters Treaty on hold, while Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines. The Indian Army confirmed that it had responded to "unprovoked" small arms fire from multiple Pakistan Army posts along the 740-kilometre (460-mile) de facto border around midnight on Sunday. No further details were provided, and no casualties were reported by India.

The Pakistani military has yet to respond to a request for comment.

In a separate statement, the Pakistani Army reported that it had killed 54 Islamist militants attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan in the last two days. Meanwhile, India’s armed forces have conducted a series of military drills across the country, with some being routine preparedness exercises, according to a defence official.

In Kashmir, Indian security forces have detained approximately 500 individuals for questioning after searching nearly 1,000 houses and forests in a hunt for militants. At least nine houses have been demolished as part of the ongoing operation.

Political leaders in the region have urged caution to prevent any harm to innocent civilians during the government's counter-terrorism efforts following the deadliest attack of its kind in nearly two decades. Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, took to social media, saying: “It’s time to... avoid any misplaced action that alienates people. Punish the guilty, show them no mercy, but don’t let innocent people become collateral damage."

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Resistance, also known as the Resistance Front, denied involvement in the attack. Despite an earlier claim of responsibility, the group, which is linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba according to a Delhi-based think tank, blamed a "cyber intrusion" for the post that took credit for the massacre.

By Aghakazim Guliyev