India and Pakistan agree to a ceasefire
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India and Pakistan have confirmed a ceasefire deal after US-led talks to end a conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals.
It follows weeks of clashes that were triggered by a gun massacre on tourists in April that India blames Pakistan for.
It was their most serious confrontation in decades and left dozens of civilian dead on both sides.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump revealed the two sides had agreed to a truce.
“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council, posted on X: @POTUS is a force for peace” over a link to Trump’s online statement about a ceasefire having been agreed to, but offered no more immediate details.
Both India and Pakistan confirmed the news.
Ishaq Dar, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan, said in a post on X: “Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!”
The ceasefire comes after foreign ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US, alongside the high representative of the European Union, said they “strongly condemn the egregious terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan”.
Violent clashes between the two countries were sparked after gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, in Indian-controlled Kashmir in April.
India accused Pakistan of being behind the murders, which Islamabad denies.
Kashmir has been a contested territory between Pakistan and India since 1947 and the neighbours each run part of the region but claim ownership of it all.
with PA
AP
