India, Pakistan Vow To Avoid Further Escalation After Missile Strikes

India and Pakistan pledged not to escalate hostilities further—provided the other side does the same—following a volley of missile exchanges across their shared border.

The clashes mark the most serious flare-up in a conflict sparked by a mass shooting last month that India attributes to Pakistan. I Photo: Krishna Chaitanya Velaga Wikimedia Commons

The clashes mark the most serious flare-up in a conflict sparked by a mass shooting last month that India attributes to Pakistan, Associated Press reported.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Saturday that his country is open to de-escalation if India refrains from launching further attacks. However, he warned that Pakistan’s forces would respond if provoked: “If they stop here, we will also consider stopping,” he told Geo News.

He likewise noted that he conveyed the same message to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after speaking to Indian officials.

In New Delhi, Indian Wing Commander Vyomika Singh echoed the sentiment, saying India remains committed to “non-escalation, provided the Pakistan side reciprocates.”

She noted, however, that Pakistani ground forces had been observed mobilizing toward forward areas— “indicating an offensive intent to further escalation.”