Washington called on India and Pakistan to work together to reduce tensions

(Patria) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on India and Pakistan to work on de-escalating tensions after last week's attack by Islamist militants on Indian-administered Kashmir in which 26 people were killed, the State Department said, Reuters reported.

Rubio spoke separately with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing support for India in its fight against extremism and calling on Pakistan to cooperate in the investigation of the attack, the State Department stated.

The talks on Wednesday mark the highest level of publicly known simultaneous diplomatic engagement by Washington aimed at reducing tensions between India and Pakistan since the April 22 attack.

India is an important American partner in countering China. Pakistan is an ally of Washington, although its importance has diminished after the US withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.

In statements from the State Department following these talks, the attack in Kashmir was described as "terror" and "heinous," and it was stated that Rubio spoke with Pakistan "about the need to condemn it."

Rubio "called on Pakistani officials to cooperate in the investigation of this heinous attack," the State Department said. Sharif's office stated that it asked Rubio to call on India "to reduce rhetoric."

Rubio called on the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors to work with each other "to de-escalate tensions, restore direct communications, and maintain peace."

Washington called on other countries to help reduce tensions while asking India and Pakistan to work towards a "responsible solution."

Washington condemned the attack without criticizing Pakistan. India blamed Pakistan, which denied responsibility, calling for a neutral investigation.

With a Muslim-majority population in Kashmir, the region is claimed by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan, both of which control only a part of the region and have fought wars over it.

Following the attack, India suspended an agreement regulating water sharing, and both countries closed their airspace to rival airlines. They exchanged fire across their border. Indian nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish those responsible. Pakistan says Indian military action is inevitable.