A look at the history of the conflict between India and Pakistan

Lebanon today is the conflict between India and Pakistan is one of the longest continuous conflicts in the world, and it has started since the founding of the two countries in 1947. Despite many attempts to peace, this conflict is still witnessing an escalation from time to time, especially with regard to the disputed Kashmir region, where both countries are demanding control of the region. In this report, we highlight the history of the conflict between the two nuclear neighbors and some of the most prominent historical stations in this long conflict. 1947: The first war on Kashmir in 1947, the Indian subcontinent was divided into two independent states: Indian majority of Hindu and Pakistan with a Muslim majority. After a short period of independence, the conflict over the Kashmir region, which was governed by a Hindu family, began even though the majority of its population were Muslims. The ruler of Kashmir at the time, Maraga Harry Singh, chose to join India, which angered Pakistan, which was demanding Kashmir because of the Muslim majority in the region. A war broke out between India and Pakistan in October 1947, when Pakistan intervened militarily in an attempt to seize the region. The war ended in 1949 with the intervention of the United Nations, when a ceasefire agreement was reached, which led to the division of Kashmir into two parts: the part -controlled by India (Jamo and Kashmir), and the part -controlled part (Azad Kashmir). However, the issue was not resolved, and both India and Pakistan have been calling for controlling the entire region. 1965: The second war on Kashmir in 1965, a second war broke out between India and Pakistan around Kashmir. The war began when the Pakistani forces crossed to the India part of Kashmir, India replied to launch a military attack across the border. The fighting lasted for several months, extending to other fronts, including fierce battles using tanks and aircraft. The fighting ended after the intervention of the international community, especially the Soviet Union and the United States, where a ceasefire agreement was reached. Although the war ended in a draw, the conflict over Kashmir remained standing. 1971: The war on eastern Pakistan in 1971, India and Pakistan fought a third war, but this time it was on the eastern border. Pakistan, which today includes Bangladesh, was facing a regional rebellion in eastern Pakistan (today known as Bangladesh), where there was a strong desire by the local population in independence from the Pakistani government. India entered the conflict to help the rebels in eastern Pakistan, which led to a violent war that ended with the victory of India and the secession of Bangladesh to become an independent state. This war was disastrous for Pakistan, which lost a large part of its territory and witnessed huge human losses. 1999: The Cargill War in 1999, a new war erupted between India and Pakistan in the Kargil region, Jammu and Kashmir. This conflict was the first war between the two countries after they had nuclear weapons, which increased international anxiety about the possibility of a nuclear war. In this conflict, the Pakistani forces infiltrated the Indian lands in the Kargil region, prompting India to launch an attack to restore the area. After violent battles that lasted for several months, the Indian forces managed to restore the area, while Pakistan was subjected to international pressure to stop the fighting. 2016: URI attack in 2016, one of the most devastating attacks occurred in the history of the modern conflict between India and Pakistan, as gunmen targeted an Indian military base in the city of Uri Kashmir, killing 19 Indian soldiers. India has announced that it had carried out air strikes on Pakistani military sites across the border in what it described as “surgical strikes”. On the other hand, Pakistan denied any involvement in the attack and refused to have any Indian incursions on its soil. This incident led to an escalation of tensions between the two countries, and India imposed additional sanctions on Pakistan. 2019: Poloa attack in 2019, India was subjected to the largest suicide attack in its history when gunmen detonated a car bomb in the Polama area of ​​Kashmir, killing more than 40 Indian army soldiers. As a result, India launched air strikes on what it said was a camp for militants in the town of Pakistan, which resulted in the destruction of the site. But Pakistan denied that the strike had targeted a real camp, and said it was just a “empty” blow. Pakistan responded with an air penetration across the Indian border, which led to an air clash between the two countries of the two countries, and eventually the Pakistani forces captured an Indian pilot. The latest escalation: May 2025 on May 1, 2025, tensions escalated again when India attacked nine locations inside Pakistan, including in the Pakistan part of Kashmir, in response to the attack that killed 26 people in the Indian Kashmir region. Pakistan has confirmed that it is in the process of responding to Indian attacks. The summary since 1947, relations between India and Pakistan have witnessed many wars and military escalation, and it has passed through a stage of continuous violence and tensions against the background of the conflict over Kashmir. Despite the signing of some ceasefire agreements and peace attempts, the Kashmiri issue remains one of the largest unresolved issues in relations between the two countries. Also, the possession of both countries of nuclear weapons made any military escalation between them carrying great risks to regional and international security. Many people wonder about the possibility of a permanent peaceful solution in the future, while the hope of stabilizing the situation remains, even if it is far away.

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