U.S. President Donald Trump has called for calm between India and Pakistan following renewed hostilities sparked by Indian missile strikes on targets inside Pakistani territory. The strikes were in response to a recent attack in Kashmir that claimed the lives of at least 26 civilians.
Speaking at a White House event on Tuesday, Trump expressed concern over the latest flare-up between the nuclear-armed neighbors. “They’ve been fighting for many, many decades,” he said. “I just hope it ends very quickly.”
The Indian government said its air and missile strikes targeted hideouts of militant groups allegedly responsible for the deadly late-April attack in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir. In response, the Pakistani military confirmed that eight people were killed and 33 injured in the cross-border strikes.
The conflict escalated further when Indian authorities reported that three civilians were killed by Pakistani shelling in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir, bringing renewed attention to the fragile ceasefire between the two rivals.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in on the escalating situation, posting on X that he was “monitoring the situation closely.” He added: “I echo (Trump’s) comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan have simmered for decades, with both countries laying claim to the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Since gaining independence in 1947, the two nations have fought three wars—two of them over Kashmir—and came close to a fourth during a major standoff in 2019.
Global powers have long viewed the India-Pakistan rivalry with concern, given both nations' possession of nuclear weapons and history of violent conflict. Diplomatic observers are now urging restraint, with fears rising that the current crisis could spiral into a broader military confrontation.
Post a Comment