Some details are clouded by contradictory statements and disinformation. But a pattern of rapid escalation brought the conflict to the brink of catastrophe.

A tense standoff prevails between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack triggering concerns that it will explode into a full-blown war at any time with implications for the whole world.

The Post’s Karishma Mehrotra explains why the disputed territory of Kashmir is the focus of ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.