President Donald Trump wants India and Pakistan to cease fighting and is open to helping both countries broker a peace agreement, following strikes from India against Pakistan early Wednesday.
India launched missiles against at least nine sites ‘where terrorist attacks against India have been planned,’ according to India’s Defense Ministry. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military reported that the strikes killed at least 26 people — including women and children — and claimed the strikes amounted to an ‘act of war.’
‘Oh, it’s so terrible. My position is, I get along with both,’ Trump told reporters Wednesday. ‘I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop. And hopefully they can stop now. They’ve got a tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now. But I know both. We get along with both countries very well. Good relationships with both. And I want to see it stop. And if I can do anything to help I will. I will be there as well.’
Tension between India and Pakistan escalated in April after a gunman killed 26 people who were primarily Indian Hindi tourists in the India-controlled portion of Kashmir. India pinned the blame on Pakistan, and a militant group India claims is affiliated with a Pakistani militant group ultimately claimed responsibility for the attack.
After India’s Wednesday strikes, Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets, claiming that the move was justified given India’s actions.
‘Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,’ Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.
The Associated Press, Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Nick Kalman contributed to this report.