ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) —A gun massacre of touristson April 22 haspushed India and Pakistana step closer to war, marking the biggest breakdown in relations since 2019. Conflict between India and Pakistan is not rare, with the two countries having periodically engaged in wars, clashes and skirmishessince gaining independencefrom British India in 1947. What's different about this escalation isthe frequency and intensityof strikes and retaliation. Although the U.S. had said it would not step in, it is now offering assistance in "starting constructive talks" between India and Pakistan to avoid future conflicts. But calls for restraint from the international community have yet to make an impact. Here's a timeline of how the latest conflict has unfolded: April 22 Gunmen shoot and kill at least 26 touristsat a Pahalgam resortin Indian-controlled Kashmir, a major shift in a regional conflict that has largely spared civilians. The unidentified gunmen also wound 17 other people. A group called Kashmir Resistance, which India accuses Pakistan of backing, claims the attack. Survivors tell The Associated Pressthat gunmen asked people if they were Hindu and then opened fire. April 23 Indiadowngrades diplomatic ties, closes the only functional land border crossing, and suspends a crucial water-sharing treaty that has survived two wars and a major border skirmish between the two countries. India launches a manhunt for the Pahalgam assailants. Pakistan denies involvement with the attack. April 24 India and Pakistan cancel visasfor each other's nationals, setting a deadline for them to leave. In retaliation, Pakistan shuts its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines, and suspends all trade with India, including to and from any third country. Government ministers on both sides hint the dispute could escalate to military action. April 25 India saysits troops exchangedfire with Pakistani soldiers at the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan warns it could suspend an agreement that established the Line of Control, in what would be a major and worrying step. The United Nations urges both sides to "exercise maximum restraint." April 26 Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vows his government will respond"with full force and might"to Indian attempts to stop or divert the flow of water. Iran offers mediation, while Trump says he expects them to work out their differences. "There's great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been," he tells reporters aboard Air Force One. April 30 Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmirtemporarily close dozensof resorts in the scenic Himalayan region after the deadly attack on tourists. Troops from both countries exchange fire over the Line of Control for a fifth consecutive night. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says his government has"credible intelligence"that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours. May 1 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubiocalls senior officials in India and Pakistan in an effort to defuse the crisis. U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says Rubio in his call with India expressed sorrow over the killings in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the U.S.'s "commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism." Pakistan says Rubio emphasized the need for both sides to "continue working together for peace and stability" in South Asia. May 3 Pakistan test-firesa ballistic missile with a range of 450 kilometers (about 280 miles).Missiles are not firedtoward the border area with India; they are normally fired into the Arabian Sea or the deserts of the southwest Balochistan province. India suspends the exchange of all mail from Pakistan through air and surface routes and bans the direct and indirect import of goods from its neighbor. It also bars Pakistani-flagged ships from entering its ports and prohibits Indian-flagged vessels from visiting Pakistani ports. May 7 India fires missiles on Pakistan, which calls the strikes an "act of war" and vows to avenge those who died in the pre-dawn attack. The missiles kill 31 people, including women and children, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the country's Punjab province. Thestrikes targetedat least nine sites "where terrorist attacks against India have been planned," says India's Defense Ministry. Pakistan claims it downed several Indian fighter jets. May 8 India fires attack drones into Pakistan, killing at least two civilians, the Pakistani military says. India, meanwhile, accuses its neighbor of attempting its own attack and acknowledges targeting its archrival's air defense system. India evacuatesthousands of people from villagesnear the highly militarized frontier in the Kashmir region. Flights remainsuspended at over two dozen airportsacross northern and western regions of India. Pakistan's Punjab province announces the immediate closure of all schools and other educational institutions. May 9 Indiasuspends its biggest domestic cricket tournamentfor a week following the escalating military tensions with Pakistan. Pakistan initially says it willmove its own domestic T20 tournamentto the United Arab Emirates because of the crisis, but then says it will only postpone matches. Several northern and western Indian states shut schools and other educational institutions. U.S. Vice President JD Vance says a potential war between India and Pakistan would be "none of our business." India's army says drones have been sighted in 26 locations across many areas in Indian states bordering Pakistan and Indian-controlled Kashmir, including the main city of Srinagar. The drones were tracked and engaged, it adds. The Group of Seven nations, or G7, urge "maximum restraint" from both India and Pakistan, warning that further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability. May 10 Pakistansays India has fired missilesat air bases inside the country and that retaliatory strikes are underway.The Indian missilestargeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, Murid air base in Chakwal city, and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, according to the Pakistani army's chief spokesperson. Pakistan says it has fired missiles at Indian military positions. Residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir report hearing loud explosions at multiple places in the region, including Srinagar, Jammu, and the garrison town of Udhampur.
