ISLAMABAD (AP) — India and Pakistan on Saturday signaled they were ready to de-escalate their conflict if the other reciprocates following missile and drone attacks across their border, in the most serious confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades.
The two have been locked in hostilities after a gun massacre last month that India blames on Pakistan.
Pakistan’s foreign minister said his country would consider de-escalation if India stopped further attacks. However, Ishaq Dar warned that if India launched any strikes, “our response will follow.”
Dar told Pakistan’s Geo News that he also conveyed this message to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who contacted him after Rubio spoke to New Delhi earlier.
“We responded because our patience had reached its limit. If they stop here, we will also consider stopping,” Dar added.
India said it targeted Pakistani air bases after Islamabad fired several high-speed missiles at military and civilian infrastructure in the country’s Punjab state early Saturday.
Pakistan earlier said it intercepted most missiles and responded with retaliatory strikes on India.
Rubio spoke to his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and emphasized that “both sides need to identify methods to de-escalate and reestablish direct communication to avoid miscalculation,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Saturday, and offered U.S. support to facilitate “productive discussion.”
India says it’s committed to ‘non-escalation’
India's military held a press briefing in New Delhi, saying Pakistan targeted health facilities and schools at its three air bases in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
“Befitting reply has been given to Pakistani actions,” said Indian Col. Sofiya Qureshi.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said India was committed to “non-escalation" provided that Pakistan reciprocated. However, Pakistani ground forces were observed mobilizing toward forward areas, she said, “indicating an offensive intent to further escalate the situation.”
“Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness,” she added.
Singh said India carried out “precision strikes only at identified military targets" including technical infrastructure and radar sites.
Pakistan's military said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to hit an Indian missile storage facility and air bases in the cities of Pathankot and Udhampur.
The Associated Press could not independently verify all the actions attributed to Pakistan or India.
Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said Pakistan's air force assets were safe following the Indian assault.
Indian strikes target Pakistani air bases
Tensions have soared since an attack at a popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir left 26 civilians dead, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, on April 22. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan for backing the assault, an accusation Islamabad rejects.
Indian missiles Saturday targeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, Murid air base in Chakwal city and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, according to Pakistan's military spokesman.
There were no immediate reports of the strike or its aftermath from residents in the densely populated Rawalpindi.
Pakistanis celebrated the missile launches on India.
"Thank God we have finally responded to Indian aggression,” said Muhammad Ashraf, who had gone out in Lahore for breakfast. There were jubilant scenes in Peshawar and Karachi.
Explosions in India-controlled Kashmir
Following the announcement of Pakistani retaliation, residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir said they heard loud explosions at multiple places, including the two big cities of Srinagar and Jammu and the garrison town of Udhampur.
“Explosions that we are hearing today are different from the ones we heard the last two nights during drone attacks,” said Shesh Paul Vaid, the region’s former top police official and Jammu resident. “It looks like a war here.”
Vaid said explosions were heard from areas with military bases, adding it appeared that army sites were targeted. Residents living near Srinagar city’s airport, which is also an air base, said they were rattled by the explosions and booming sound of jets.
“I was already awake, but the explosions jolted my kids out of their sleep. They started crying,” said Srinagar resident Mohammed Yasin, adding he heard at least two explosions.
Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group for India, said the two countries were at war even if they had not yet labelled it as one.
“It’s become a remorseless race for military one-upmanship with no apparent strategic end goals from either side,” said Donthi. “Finding an exit or off-ramp is going to be challenging.”
India and Pakistan have traded strikes and heavy cross-border fire for days, resulting in civilian casualties on both sides.
Buildings were destroyed or damaged in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where powerful blasts ripped off roofs, windows and walls and left homes riddled with holes.
Villagers and rescuers in a district of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir sifted through the rubble of homes hit by overnight Indian shelling on Friday as people carried the dead. Others surveyed the ruins.
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Hussain reported from Srinagar, India and Roy reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, Babar Dogar in Lahore, Pakistan, Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan and Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
Munir Ahmed, Aijaz Hussain And Rajesh Roy, The Associated Press
