Indo-Pakistani crisis: back from the brink, not out of the woods

• India’s frustration with terror attacks in Kashmir has reached a boiling point
• In its latest standoff with Pakistan over such attacks, India got broad international support
• New Delhi’s refusal to engage directly with separatist leaders and deal with Kashmiri concerns makes it certain that the conflict in the region will drag on

India’s targeted strikes against Pakistani terrorist bases across the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir marked the first time India has launched such attacks in nearly two decades. Indian justification for the September 2016 strikes – preventing future terrorist attacks on Indian soil – has been widely accepted by the international community, particularly in the United States. Given the international backing for India’s “surgical” volley against Pakistan-based terrorists, Islamabad is unlikely to escalate military tensions any further.