The U.S. urged India and Pakistan to work together to de-escalate tensions and avoid an expected clash, after militants last week killed dozens of people in the Indian-controlled portion of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with top officials from both countries on Wednesday, asking them to ¡°maintain peace and security in South Asia.¡± He told Pakistan¡¯s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, of the need to condemn the attack and re-establish direct communications, according to a statement from the State Department. Rubio also spoke with India¡¯s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Relations between the nuclear-armed nations and longtime adversaries have rapidly deteriorated in the wake of the attack, which India and the U.S. have called an act of terrorism. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi¡¯s government has accused Pakistan of involvement and vowed to punish those responsible. Pakistan has denied any links to the assault and warned of retaliation if India takes military action.
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