Rubio urges India, Pakistan to de-escalate as deadly cross border attacks continue
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a swearing-in ceremony for Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on May 6, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Kent Nishimura)
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday (May 8) urged India and Pakistan to take immediate steps to de-escalate and engage in dialogue, as he pressed Islamabad to end any support for "terrorist groups".
The two nuclear-armed neighbours have engaged in deadly confrontations in recent days, after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir. Pakistan has denied the charge.
Rubio, in calls with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, "emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation", a State Department statement said.
"He expressed US support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications," said spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
In his call with Sharif, Rubio "reiterated his calls for Pakistan to take concrete steps to end any support for terrorist groups".
He also "expressed sorrow for the reported loss of civilian lives in the current conflict".
India says it has targeted “terrorist camps” on Pakistani territory following the killing of 26 people, nearly all Hindu tourists, in Pahalgam, a town in Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22. It has blamed the attack on a Pakistan-based group. Islamabad rejects the accusation and has called for an independent investigation.
The latest escalation has seen waves of drone and missile strikes exchanged between the two countries, with both militaries claiming to have neutralised attacks and inflicted heavy casualties. Civilian deaths have been reported on both sides, and several airports in the region were temporarily shut down.
Explosions were reported at Jammu airport in Indian administered Kashmir late Thursday, while cities in Pakistan including Lahore and Rawalpindi have also been hit in recent days, according to local authorities.
Global powers including the US, China and Russia have called for restraint amid fears of wider conflict.
