Tensions between India and Pakistan have reached a high level following Saturday’s strikes by Islamabad on parts of India.
According to Reuters, Pakistan claimed to have destroyed India’s S-400 air defense system during the operation, among other targets. However, the Indian military has denied this claim.
Following the strikes, Pakistan temporarily closed its airspace until 12:00 pm local time on Saturday.
Muskan, a resident of Indian-controlled Kashmir, said: “We heard a loud bang and we all rushed out. We saw their (neighbours) damaged car, he is badly injured, that’s why we all are scared.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistani military said that prior to its operation, India had launched missile attacks on three of its airbases, including one near Islamabad.
Military spokesperson Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said: “To further update on the attacks by India, the missile attacks by India on the Pakistan Air Force bases, majority of the missiles has been intercepted by the alert air defence system of the Pakistan armed forces. The few that had been able to sneak in have not been able to cause any damage to the flying assets of Pakistan Air force, as per initial damage assessment report.”
The United States has expressed readiness to mediate and confirmed that its Secretary of State is in contact with both nations.
“The president has expressed he wants to see this de-escalate as quickly as possible. He understands these are two countries that have been at odds with one another for decades, long before President Trump was here in the Oval Office. However, he has good relationships with the leaders of both countries and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, I spoke to him just yesterday. He has been in constant communication with the leaders of both countries trying to bring this conflict to an end,” said
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Meanwhile, Marco Rubio held separate phone calls with his Pakistani and Indian counterparts, Muhammad Ishaq Dar and S. Jaishankar, offering Washington’s support for initiating dialogue between the two countries to prevent further conflict.
However, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif denied reports that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called a meeting of the country’s National Command Authority.
Earlier, Reuters, citing the Pakistani military, reported that Shehbaz Sharif was expected to convene the National Command Authority to discuss planning ground, air, and naval operations, as well as matters related to the use or restraint of nuclear weapons.
Separately, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) released a statement expressing support for a political solution to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan. They urged both countries to show maximum restraint and bring the conflict to an end.
