Divided by the border, united by fear

Between India, Pakistan and China lies the region of Kashmir, a territory contested by three nuclear powers, often facing exchanges of fire by satellite groups and occasionally between armies. As states try to extend their influence, the population there lives in fear, insecurity and danger.

Mohammad Iqbal was working the night shift at a power plant when he received the terrifying call from his family to tell them that artillery shells were exploding around their home.

"I told them to lie down on the floor on the ground floor together and hope that things would improve by morning," Iqbal said.

But dawn brought no relief from the bombings that would continue for four days as India and Pakistan fought their most intense conflict in decades, raising fears of all-out war.

Iqbal, 47, lives near the town of Poonch in Indian-administered Kashmir, a stone's throw from the de facto border with Pakistan, a hilly area covered in pine trees and flower-filled meadows, surrounded by towering, icy peaks.

But beauty is an illusion. Kashmir is one of the most militarized regions in the world and the trigger for many wars between India and Pakistan, which claim the entire territory but control only part of it.

Last week, the nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged missiles, drones and artillery fire for four days after an attack last month that killed Indian tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi has blamed its neighbor for the killings, charges that Islamabad denies.

Two hours after the attacks began last Wednesday, Iqbal received news that his groom's house had been hit.

The shell had exploded near a water tank, damaging windows and scattering shards of glass, hitting the son-in-law and his niece.

After that, a frantic effort began to send the injured to the nearest hospital.

"Until people started evacuating, there were few people in the village with cars, so people just got into whatever vehicle they could find," Iqbal said.

"For a few hours it was difficult to find everyone. People got separated. But eventually at the hospital my family was reunited," he added.

There, he found his son-in-law, who works as a police officer, seriously injured and the medical staff struggling to treat the influx of injured people.

Iqbal's son-in-law survived. But his two neighbors did not.

Pakistan on Tuesday said 40 civilians had been killed and 121 injured in Indian attacks, and 11 members of its armed forces had been killed. India said 15 civilians had been killed and 59 injured, and that five soldiers had been killed.

For the approximately 15 million people living in the disputed region, the latest outbreak of hostilities appears to have pushed a political solution for their home further away than ever.

But the main concern, on both sides of Kashmir, is how long the skies will remain calm.

"There is an uneasy calm here," said Amir Choudhary, 25, from the town of Akhnoor in Indian-administered Kashmir, hours after the ceasefire was reached.

"Shops have reopened and some people who had fled have slowly started to return," he added.

"There's still that fear of what might happen when night comes," he said.

On the other side of the Line of Control, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Samia Ashraf shared the same sentiments.

"Insecurity still persists. Many believe that (the ceasefire) is not a permanent solution," she declared.

Others are uncertain about when they can return to their homes and villages.

"Many of them are waiting for the situation to develop before they make the decision to return," said Akhtar Ayoub, a local administrative officer in Pakistan's Neelum Valley.

Raja Shoukat Iqbal, who lives near the de facto border, has described the ceasefire as "essential for the people of Kashmir" who he said are paying a high price on both sides of the divide.

"This peace is also necessary at the international level because both countries are nuclear powers, any mistake or anger by either country could cause the deaths of two billion people," he declared.

Fire point

Kashmir has been a flashpoint since 1947, when British India was hastily divided into two parts by its former colonizers.

What followed was the birth of two nations: Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Millions of people found themselves on the “wrong” side of the new border, leading to a frenzied and bloody mass migration that tore communities apart.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority state ruled by a Hindu monarch, was in a unique position. Pakistan claimed the territory, while the prince chose India.

Both India and Pakistan, two nations gripped by fervent nationalism, believe that Kashmir is an integral part of their countries.

For Pakistan – which was created as a home for South Asian Muslims – the partition of Kashmir is seen as a great historical injustice.

The country's powerful army is led by General Asim Munir, known for his tough stance on India. Weeks before the latest conflict, he described Kashmir as Pakistan's "jugular vein," according to local media reports.

India has long accused Pakistan of funding terrorist groups in Kashmir, a charge denied by Islamabad. Pakistan, meanwhile, seeks to position the cause of violence in the region as a result of New Delhi's alleged "oppression."

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pushed for a more uncompromising position on the disputed land.

In 2019, the government led by his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) divided the former state into two union territories, giving the government in New Delhi greater control over the Muslim-majority region.

"Our family is together"

India and Pakistan both claim victory in their recent conflict.

New Delhi says the strikes on Pakistani territory - the deepest since their 1971 war - have destroyed terror camps used to stage attacks in India, including the massacre of tourists last month that began the conflict.

Pakistan says its air force has shot down five Indian fighter jets, including advanced French Rafale fighter jets.

On Monday, in his speech, Modi said that India "has only suspended strikes in response to military and terror camps in Pakistan."

"In the coming days we will measure every step of Pakistan," he added.

They, on both sides of the border, have long lived under the threat of bombings and attacks.

A student from Uri, in Indian-administered Kashmir, has described how he stood there as the sound of shelling shook his house last week.

"We sat in silence, extremely terrified. Praying that the next target would not be our family or our home," he said.

The student, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, described the joyful moment when he heard the news of the ceasefire announcement.

"Smiles spread across our faces, and we hugged," he added.

"We now want this ceasefire to last. Both countries need to find long-term solutions," he said.

Iqbal, the power plant worker, said he wanted to remain optimistic despite the damage done.

"We are lucky. We just need to rebuild our homes and our family is together. I hope things don't start again. But there are no guarantees," Iqbal said.