ISLAMABAD — India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire Saturday after U.S.-led talks to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades but accused each other of violating the deal just hours later.
The ceasefire was expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late Saturday “there had been repeated violations of the understanding arrived between the two countries” and accused Pakistan of breaching the agreement.
“We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,” Misri said at a news conference in New Delhi. He said the Indian army was “retaliating” for what he called a “border intrusion.”
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In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry blamed Indian forces for initiating the ceasefire violation. The ministry said Pakistan remains committed to the agreement and its forces were handling the situation with responsibility and restraint.
“We believe that any issues in the smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels,” the ministry said.
A Kashmiri man watches the news on the ceasefire between India and Pakistan as he sits Saturday inside his a shikara, a traditional boat, on Dal Lake in Srinagar in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Tensions soared since an April 22 attack at a popular tourist site in Indian-controlled Kashmir left 26 civilians dead, mostly Indian Hindu tourists. India blames the attack on Pakistan, which denies the charge.
The first word of the truce came from U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted on his social media platform that India and Pakistan 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!”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a speech Saturday that his country agreed to the ceasefire in the larger interest of peace in the region and hoped all outstanding issues with India, including the long-running dispute over the Kashmir region, would be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
Students of an art school and their teacher celebrate the ceasefire Saturday between India and Pakistan in Mumbai, India.
Misri said the head of military operations from both countries spoke Saturday afternoon and agreed “both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, and in the air and sea.”
Hours after the agreement, explosions heard by residents in Srinagar and Jammu in India-controlled Kashmir were followed by blackouts in the two cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
India and Pakistan periodically engaged in wars, clashes and skirmishes since gaining independence from British India in 1947.
The ceasefire in the latest hostilities came after the countries fired volleys of cross-border missile strikes Saturday, when India said it targeted Pakistani air bases after Islamabad fired several high-speed missiles at military and civilian infrastructure in Punjab state. Pakistan said it responded with retaliatory strikes.
People share cake Saturday as they celebrate a ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan during a demonstration in Hyderabad, Pakistan.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance engaged with senior officials from both countries over the prior 48 hours. They included Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.
Rubio said the two governments agreed to "start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site."
Though Pakistanis initially celebrated their army's retaliation, they later were jubilant about the truce, saying it was a moment of national pride and relief after days of tension.
"War brings nothing but suffering," Zubaida Bibi said in Islamabad. "We are happy that calm is returning. It feels like Eid to me. We have won."
People light fireworks to celebrate Pakistan and India reaching a ceasefire deal Saturday during a demonstration in Hyderabad, Pakistan.
Before the ceasefire was reached Saturday, India's military held a news briefing in New Delhi, saying Pakistan targeted health facilities and schools at its three air bases in Kashmir.
"Befitting reply has been given to Pakistani actions," Indian Col. Sofiya Qureshi said.
Indian missiles targeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, Murid air base in Chakwal city and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, according to Pakistan's military spokesman.
There were no immediate reports of the strike or its aftermath from residents in densely populated Rawalpindi.
Pakistan's military said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to hit an Indian missile storage facility and air bases in the cities of Pathankot and Udhampur. Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said the country's air force assets were safe after the Indian assault.
The Associated Press could not independently verify all the actions attributed to Pakistan or India.
A Kashmiri family looks toward the sky Saturday as projectiles fly over Indian-controlled Kashmir.
After the announcement of Pakistani retaliation, residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir said they heard loud explosions at multiple places, including the large cities of Srinagar and Jammu and the garrison town of Udhampur.
"Explosions that we are hearing today are different from the ones we heard the last two nights during drone attacks," said Shesh Paul Vaid, the region's former top police official and Jammu resident. "It looks like a war here."
Vaid said explosions were heard from areas with military bases, adding it appeared that army sites were targeted.
Omar Abdullah, Indian-controlled Kashmir's top elected official, welcomed the ceasefire but said if it happened two or three days earlier, "we might have avoided the bloodshed and the loss of precious lives."
