Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged brief small arms fire on September 20, 2025, along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nowgam sector of Kupwara district. The firing started around 6:15 pm and continued intermittently for about an hour before ceasing, with no reported injuries on either side.

Army sources emphasised that this incident did not amount to a ceasefire violation, characterizing it as a limited and mutual exchange of fire rather than a full escalation. The Indian Army has not yet issued an official statement on this exchange.

This skirmish comes months after Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7, 2025, in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. During Operation Sindoor, India targeted Pakistani terror infrastructure, destroying several airbases and terror launch pads, while incurring minimal damage itself. The four-day conflict concluded quickly with a ceasefire agreement reached on May 10, 2025, brokered with significant involvement by the United States among other international actors.

Since May, there have been occasional tensions and reported ceasefire violation claims, but the Indian Army has consistently denied any unprovoked firing by Pakistan, as evidenced by official clarifications issued for reports in August 2025 regarding ceasefire breaches in the Poonch region.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh recently stated that Operation Sindoor ended promptly as soon as its anti-terrorism objectives were met, emphasizing that prolonging conflict would impose a disproportionate cost. He explained that the operation achieved its goal of striking terror infrastructure and thus terminating the conflict early was a strategic decision: “Why should we carry on? Because any conflict has a lot of price which has to be paid”.

The brief exchange of fire on September 20 does not signal a major escalation but remains a localized, controlled incident within the ongoing tense but largely stable ceasefire environment established after Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

Based On India Today Report