US attempts to mediate between India and Pakistan.
According to Al Jazeera, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to contact his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to urge them to exercise restraint and prevent escalation of tensions after the recent deadly attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
US State Department spokesman Tommy Bruce announced Rubio’s efforts to mediate between the two sides in his daily press briefing, referring to the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan.
Bruce told reporters: “We are in touch with both sides and we urge them to refrain from escalating the situation.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after 26 tourists were shot dead in the Kashmir region last week.
India immediately accused Pakistan of funding cross-border terrorism. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
The attack sparked diplomatic retaliation between the two countries, including the suspension of a water treaty between the two countries, on which Pakistan is heavily dependent.
The treaty provides 80 percent of Pakistan’s agricultural water and plays a vital role in the country’s economy.
The incident has raised concerns about the possibility of a full-scale conflict between the two nuclear powers in South Asia and has drawn international attention to the need for diplomatic intervention to contain the crisis.