Kashmir to Kargil: Timeline of Indo-Pak conflicts since independence

India on Wednesday carried out strikes at nine terrorist locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which are a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group. Operation Sindoor, launched as India’s response against the Pahalgam terror attack that occurred on April 22, marks another chapter in the long standing tensions between the two nations.

These bitter relations between India and Pakistan trace back to their independence in 1947. Here’s a look at the key instances when the two countries have been involved in armed conflicts since.

First Kashmir War - 1947
The first Indo-Pak war, also known as the First Kashmir War, erupted in October 1947, when Pakistan-backed tribal militias invaded the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. This invasion was triggered in response to Maharaja Hari Singh's decision to accede to India. After the invasion, Indian forces were sent to defend the region, leading to a full-scale conflict. The war lasted until January 1949, when a United Nations-mediated ceasefire was established, dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

Second Indo-Pakistan War - 1965
The second Indo-Pak war broke out on August 5, 1965, when Pakistan launched 'Operation Gibraltar'. Thousands of Pakistani soldiers disguised as local insurgents infiltrated India, across the LoC into Jammu and Kashmir. Their aim was to destabilise the region by provoking local conflicts.This operation escalated into a full scale combat after India responded with a military counter offensive. The war ended on September 23, 1965, with a ceasefire brokered by both the Soviet Union and the United States, marking the end of another chapter in the India-Pakistan conglict.

Bangladesh Liberation War - 1971
The 1971 Indo-Pak war was triggered by Pakistan’s brutal crackdown on East Pakistan or current Bangladesh, where demands for independence were growing. India entered the war in support of the Bangladesh independence movement. After intense battles on both the eastern and western fronts, Pakistan's military forces surrendered on December 16, 1971, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh as an independent nation.

Kargil War - 1999
The Kargil War of 1999 was sparked when Pakistani troops and terrorists infiltrated the Kargil sector in Jammu and Kashmir. The high-altitude conflict between India and Pakistan began after India launched 'Operation Vijay' to reclaim the territory, with the help of airstrikes under 'Operation Safed Sagar'. After months of intense fighting, India regained control over the territory, marking July 26 as 'Kargil Vijay Diwas', a day to commemorate their victory and the sacrifices made.
Uri attack - 2016
The terrorist attack on September 18, 2016 targeting an Indian Army base in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed the lives of 19 soldiers. In retaliation, India conducted a surgical strike across the LoC on September 28–29, targeting multiple terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strike resulted in major casualties among terrorists who were preparing to infiltrate.
Pulwanma attack - 2019
On February 26, 2019, Indian Air Force launched airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, in response to the brutal Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. This was the first such airstrike since the 1971 war. India targeted the camp deep inside Pakistani territory with the help of fighter jets.
Pahalgam attack - 2025The latest terror attack in the Baisaran valley area of Pahalgam, located in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir resulted in 26 casualties, including two foreigners and two locals.

Operation Sindoor

The government on Wednesday said that the latest missile strike was the exercise of its right to eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure through precision strikes on nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri also said that further attacks against India were being conspired which compelled India to launch measures to deter such more cross-border terrorism.

"Our intelligence indicated that further attacks against India are impending. Thus, compulsion, both to deter and prevent and hence earlier this morning, India exercised its right to respond to deter such more cross-border terrorism.”