India-Pakistan Conflict Leaves 43 Dead, Trump Urges Immediate Ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump called on India and Pakistan on Wednesday to "immediately" cease hostilities. The two nuclear-armed South Asian countries exchanged intense fire on Wednesday, leaving at least 43 dead, including 31 from Pakistan and 12 from India. This is the most serious military standoff between the two countries in 20 years.
According to Agence France-Presse, Trump responded to media questions about the India-Pakistan conflict at the White House on Wednesday, saying, "I know these two countries' leaders very well, and I hope they can reconcile. I hope they stop the conflict. I hope they stop it now."
Trump also said, "They have already retaliated against each other, so I hope it can end now. If I can provide any help, I am willing to step in at any time."
The spark for this conflict was the gun attack that occurred in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir region of India on April 22, which left 26 dead. Since then, tensions between the two countries have continued to escalate, eventually escalating into a military conflict on the evening of June 6.
China and Britain proposed mediation first, while the EU, UN, Russia, the United States, and France all urged both sides to exercise restraint.
The two militaries exchanged artillery fire in the disputed border area of Kashmir. Previously, the Indian military had struck targets inside Pakistan as a response to the Pahalgam attack.
Indian Defense Minister Singh reiterated that the strike targeted only "terrorist camps," and these targets were precisely identified to "avoid civilian casualties or civilian areas."
India stated that the operation destroyed nine facilities alleged to be hideouts for members of Lashkar-e-Taiba [LeT]. The organization is viewed by India as the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack, but no one has claimed responsibility for this attack. New Delhi accused Islamabad of providing shelter to the organization, while Pakistan firmly denied it.
According to the latest briefing from the Pakistani military, Indian missile attacks affected six cities in Kashmir and Punjab, resulting in 31 deaths and 57 injuries in subsequent exchanges of fire. Previous reports mentioned 26 civilian deaths.
A Pakistani military spokesman said on Wednesday night that the increase in death toll was due to "India's groundless shelling and violation of the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control." He also said that the Indian attack damaged a hydroelectric power station in the Kashmir region.
Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft entering its airspace. Meanwhile, an anonymous Indian security source told Agence France-Presse that three Indian Air Force jets had crashed, with the cause still unclear.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831509745301504/
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