China and US urge calm as India strikes targets in Pakistan
Beijing and Washington have responded to India's attack on targets in Pakistan. China is "concerned" about the situation, while the United States has called for a halt to all actions to "avoid escalation."
India reported on Wednesday morning local time that it launched a military operation named "Cinnabar" against Pakistan, targeting "terrorist infrastructure" in both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India emphasized that it did not attack the Pakistani military.
"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," reported the Indian Ministry of Defence. In a special statement, they added that "India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution."
In the attacks on both sides, at least 36 people were killed, and 94 were injured, according to information provided on Wednesday by Indian police and Pakistani armed forces. Twenty-six civilians were killed, and 46 were injured due to the Indian army attacks, informed Pakistani military spokesperson Ahmed Chaudhri, cited by AFP. Meanwhile, Indian police reported at least 10 deaths and 48 injuries.
China and the USA react
The escalation of conflict between India and Pakistan has prompted reactions from China and the United States. An unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responding to a question about escalating tensions and the Indian operation, emphasized that China "opposes all forms of terrorism."
"India and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbors," highlighted an official from the Chinese administration.
"We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation," concluded a representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Also, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is calling for de-escalation. Rubio spoke with the national security advisors of India and Pakistan. "I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo POTUS's comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution," wrote the American Department of State in a post on platform X.
Earlier, Rubio himself, in a separate post, echoed President Trump's previously expressed hope that the clashes between the countries "would end quickly" and declared that he would be engaged in talks with both sides.
