It’s a measure of the world’s instability that this story isn’t leading headlines everywhere. In a normal world, cross-border violence between hostile, nuclear-armed nations would merit the front page. India and Pakistan have already fought three wars over Kashmir, so the prospect of escalation to full-scale war isn’t at all beyond imagination.

For the past two months, Modi’s government has been struggling to contain deadly street protests in Kashmir. Residents have been clashing almost daily with security forces. Reportedly, 80 civilians have been killed.

On September 18, terrorists struck the Uri army base in India, near the Line of Control — the de facto border that divides Kashmir. The attack killed 18 Indian soldiers. India claimed the terrorists had come from the other side of the Line of Control. The Indian army’s director general of military operations said the attack was characteristic of Jaish-e-Mohammed, based in Pakistan, and said as well that the attackers’ equipment had Pakistani markings.