India and Pakistan accuse each other of violating ceasefire hours after reaching deal

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addresses a property briefing successful New Delhi connected Saturday. Karma Bhutia/AP hide caption

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Karma Bhutia/AP

ISLAMABAD — India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire Saturday aft U.S.-led talks to extremity the astir superior subject confrontation betwixt the nuclear-armed rivals successful decades but accused each different of violating the woody conscionable hours later.

The ceasefire had been expected to bring a swift extremity to weeks of escalating clashes, including rocket and drone strikes, triggered by the massacre of tourists by gunmen past period that India blames connected Pakistan, which denies the charge. But aggregate explosions were heard successful 2 ample cities of Indian-controlled Kashmir hours aft the countries agreed to the deal.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said precocious Saturday that "there had been repeated violations of the knowing arrived betwixt the 2 countries" and accused Pakistan of breaching the agreement.

"We telephone upon Pakistan to instrumentality due steps to code these violations and woody with the concern with seriousness and responsibility," helium said astatine a quality league successful New Delhi. Misri said the Indian service was "retaliating" for what helium called a "border intrusion."

In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry blamed Indian forces for initiating the ceasefire violation. The ministry said Pakistan remains committed to the statement and its forces were handling the concern with work and restraint.

"We judge that immoderate issues successful the creaseless implementation of the ceasefire should beryllium addressed done connection astatine due levels," the ministry said.

The archetypal connection of the truce came from U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted connected his Truth Social level that India and Pakistan had agreed to a afloat and contiguous ceasefire: "Congratulations to some Countries connected utilizing Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attraction to this matter!"

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said successful a code Saturday that his state agreed to the ceasefire successful the larger involvement of bid successful the portion and hoped each the outstanding issues with India, including the long-running quality implicit the Kashmir region, would beryllium resolved done peaceful dialogue.

Misri said the caput of subject operations from some countries spoke Saturday day and agreed "that some sides would halt each firing and subject enactment connected land, and successful the aerial and sea."

However, hours aft the agreement, explosions heard by residents successful Srinagar and Jammu successful Indian-controlled Kashmir were followed by blackouts successful the 2 cities. There were nary contiguous reports of casualties.

Omar Abdullah, the region's apical elected official, said successful a station connected societal media: "What the hellhole conscionable happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard crossed Srinagar!!!"

Working toward a broader agreement

Conflict betwixt India and Pakistan is not rare, with the 2 countries having periodically engaged successful wars, clashes and skirmishes since gaining independency from British India successful 1947.

The ceasefire successful the latest hostilities came aft the countries fired volleys of cross-border rocket strikes Saturday, erstwhile India said it targeted Pakistani aerial bases aft Islamabad fired respective high-speed missiles astatine subject and civilian infrastructure successful Punjab state. Pakistan said it responded with retaliatory strikes.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said helium and Vice President JD Vance had engaged with elder officials from some countries implicit the past 48 hours. They included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharif, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.

Rubio said the 2 governments agreed to "start talks connected a wide acceptable of issues astatine a neutral site."

Though Pakistanis had initially celebrated their army's retaliation, they were aboriginal jubilant astir the truce, saying it was a infinitesimal of nationalist pridefulness and alleviation aft days of tension.

In Islamabad, Zubaida Bibi expressed her joyousness astatine the restoration of bid with India.

"War brings thing but suffering," she said. "We are blessed that calm is returning. It feels similar Eid to me. We person won."

Indian strikes deed Pakistani aerial bases

Tensions person soared since the onslaught astatine a fashionable tourer tract successful Indian-controlled Kashmir near 26 civilians dead, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, connected April 22.

Before the ceasefire was reached Saturday, India's subject held a property briefing successful New Delhi, saying Pakistan had targeted wellness facilities and schools astatine its 3 aerial bases successful Kashmir.

"Befitting reply has been fixed to Pakistani actions," Indian Col. Sofiya Qureshi said.

Indian missiles targeted Nur Khan aerial basal successful the garrison metropolis of Rawalpindi, adjacent the superior Islamabad, Murid aerial basal successful Chakwal metropolis and Rafiqui aerial basal successful the Jhang territory of eastbound Punjab province, according to Pakistan's subject spokesman.

There were nary contiguous reports of the onslaught oregon its aftermath from residents successful the densely populated Rawalpindi.

Pakistan's subject had said it utilized medium-range Fateh missiles to deed an Indian rocket retention installation and aerial bases successful the cities of Pathankot and Udhampur. Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said the country's aerial unit assets were harmless aft the Indian assault.

The Associated Press could not independently verify each the actions attributed to Pakistan oregon India.

Explosions successful Indian-controlled Kashmir

After the announcement of Pakistani retaliation, residents successful Indian-controlled Kashmir said they heard large explosions astatine aggregate places, including the ample cities of Srinagar and Jammu and the garrison municipality of Udhampur.

"Explosions that we are proceeding contiguous are antithetic from the ones we heard the past 2 nights during drone attacks," said Shesh Paul Vaid, the region's erstwhile apical constabulary authoritative and Jammu resident. "It looks similar a warfare here."

Vaid said explosions were heard from areas with subject bases, adding it appeared that service sites were targeted. Residents surviving adjacent Srinagar's airport, which is besides an aerial base, said they were rattled by the explosions and booming dependable of jets.

"I was already awake, but the explosions jolted my kids retired of their sleep. They started crying," said Srinagar nonmigratory Mohammed Yasin.

Omar Abdullah, Indian-controlled Kashmir's apical elected official, welcomed the ceasefire. But helium said had it happened 2 oregon 3 days earlier "we mightiness person avoided the bloodshed and the nonaccomplishment of precious lives."