Rubio urges de-escalation in call with Pakistani army chief

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call Friday with the Pakistani army chief, urging Pakistan and India to de-escalate tensions following Islamabad’s retaliatory military strikes against Indian targets.

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir earlier today. He continued to urge both parties to find ways to deescalate and offered U.S. assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout of the call.

The conversation came shortly after the Pakistani military announced it launched "Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos," or "Iron Wall" targeting military installations in India in retaliation for Indian strikes inside Pakistan.

The Pakistani army said it destroyed a missile storage site in India’s Beas region as part of the operation.

The retaliatory strikes have been launched in response to New Delhi's "Operation Sindoor," launched by India inside Pakistan on May 6, which killed 33 victims and injured 62, according to the Pakistan army.

Rubio's call came after he held separate talks Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar urging an “immediate de-escalation" amid the military escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.