Washington/New Delhi/Islamabad – The United States has called on India and Pakistan to urgently “de-escalate tensions” following a brutal militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 civilians dead on April 22. The massacre, which occurred near the scenic Pahalgam resort, is the deadliest of its kind in the disputed region in over two decades.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a series of high-level calls on Wednesday, urged Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to maintain peace and stability in South Asia. He condemned the “unconscionable attack” and offered condolences, reaffirming America’s support in India’s fight against terrorism.
India has squarely blamed Pakistan for harboring militants allegedly involved in the assault. “The perpetrators, backers, and planners must be brought to justice,” Jaishankar said on X (formerly Twitter) after his call with Rubio. In response, Islamabad has rejected any involvement and labeled India’s accusations as “baseless.”
Escalation has rapidly followed. India has closed its airspace to all Pakistani aircraft, suspended visas for Pakistani nationals, and cancelled a key water-sharing agreement. In retaliation, Pakistan has revoked visas for Indian citizens and suspended a decades-old peace treaty with Delhi.
The situation appears volatile. Pakistani officials warned of potential Indian military action within 24–36 hours, though Delhi has not commented publicly. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after multiple security meetings in Delhi, reportedly gave the armed forces a “free hand” to determine their response, including “timing, targets, and mode.”
Modi declared in a fiery public speech that India would “identify, track, and punish” those behind the attack in a way “beyond their imagination.” Indian officials claim that at least two of the four suspected attackers were Pakistani nationals. Many survivors reported that the gunmen targeted Hindu men specifically.
The incident has already led to cross-border hostilities, with intermittent exchanges of small-arms fire along the Line of Control. India also lodged a formal protest over multiple ceasefire violations during a weekly military hotline call.
On the diplomatic front, Rubio’s outreach reflects Washington’s concern over the growing instability in a nuclear-armed region. During his call with Prime Minister Sharif, Rubio emphasized the importance of Pakistan’s cooperation in investigating the attack. However, Sharif reiterated that Pakistan “categorically rejects” any linkage and accused India of inflammatory rhetoric.
Amid the turmoil, the crisis has spilled into culture and media. India blocked over a dozen Pakistani news channels and restricted Instagram accounts of Pakistani celebrities. Social media platforms confirmed the blocks were due to legal directives from Indian authorities.
The mass exodus has also begun. According to media reports, 786 Pakistani nationals have left India since the visa ban, while 1,465 Indians have returned from Pakistan.
Kashmir remains the epicenter of this geopolitical storm. Claimed in full but governed in part by both countries since 1947, the region has been a flashpoint for conflict and militancy. The Resistance Front, initially reported as responsible for the attack, later denied involvement. The group is allegedly affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist organization banned by India.
As tensions grow and diplomatic efforts scramble to contain the crisis, the international community watches closely, hoping that cooler heads prevail in a region too familiar with conflict.
Searches for some celebrity accounts now come up as unavailable.
“This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content,” an Instagram notification reads.
India has not officially commented on why the accounts were taken offline. More than a dozen Pakistani news channels were also banned in India earlier this week for spreading what was described as provocative content, media reports say.
Kashmir, which India and Pakistan claim in full but administer only in part, has been a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed countries since they were partitioned in 1947.
Indian-administered Kashmir has seen an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, with militants targeting security forces and civilians alike.
India has not officially named any organisation it suspects carried out the attack, but it was initially reported that a group called the Resistance Front was behind the attack. The group, however, denied involvement in a statement issued days later. It is reportedly affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant group, which India classifies as terrorist.
Indian police have named three of four suspected attackers. They said two were Pakistani nationals and one a local man from Indian-administered Kashmir. There is no information on the fourth man.
Many survivors said the gunmen specifically targeted Hindu men.
The attack, the deadliest attack on civilians in two decades in the disputed territory, has sparked widespread anger across India.
Modi has vowed to exact revenge against the perpetrators.
“India will identify, track and punish” the people behind the attack in a way “beyond their imagination”, Modi said in a fiery speech days after the killings last week.
