BREAKING: Trump Negotiates Ceasefire Between India, Pakistan
President Donald Trump announced Saturday morning that he had helped to negotiate a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed powers of India and Pakistan after weeks of rising tension and armed conflict.
Pakistan’s armed forces announced Friday that it launched a number of strikes against Indian military targets after India fired missiles at multiple targets within Pakistan earlier in the week. As the situation appeared to be spiraling out of control, President Trump announced that he had helped to negotiate an “immediate” ceasefire in a social media post on Saturday morning.
“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.
The current flare-up began on April 22, when islamist militant group killed dozens of Hindu tourists in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, the contentious border region that has for decades been at the crux of the conflict between the two nations. Gunmen specifically asked tourists for their religion while killing 28 and injuring 20 more in one of the region’s deadliest attacks in decades.
India has accused Pakistan of offering tacit support for the militant groups involved, alleging that the perpetrators were linked to Pakistan-based militant groups Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India has claimed two of the attackers were Pakistani nationals, though the Pakistani government has denied any involvement in the attack.
In response, India enacted a number of diplomatic measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari-Wagah border crossing, expelling Pakistani diplomats, and halting visa services for Pakistani nationals. Pakistan responded by closing its airspace to Indian aircraft and enacting reciprocal measures.
The crisis escalated significantly on Wednesday, May 7, when the Indian Armed Forces launched a series of missile strikes as a part of “Operation Sindoor.” The strikes targeted nine locations in Pakistan’s Punjab Province, all of which were alleged to be “terrorist training camps” by New Dehli.
India’s Defense Ministry stated that no Pakistani military or civilian infrastructure was targeted, further claiming the operation killed more than 100 militants, though independent organizations have been unable to verify the figures. India claimed that the strikes were intended to show restraint in order to avoid escalation.
Pakistan has claimed the strikes targeted civilian areas, however, reporting unconfirmed casualty figures of 31 dead and 46 injured.
Trump’s announcement comes after Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the US does not want to get involved in the conflict.
“What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we’re not going to get involved in the middle of a war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it,” Vance told Fox News.