Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Misri spoke in New Delhi on Saturday. Karma bhutia/ap Closed subtitles
Islamabad - India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday after U.S.-led talks ended decades of ending the worst military confrontation between nuclear weapons rivals, but only a few hours later, accused each other of violating the deal.
The ceasefire is expected to end quickly, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the massacre of gunmen blamed by gunmen in Pakistan last month, which denies the allegation. But after the countries agreed to the deal, multiple explosions were heard in two big cities in two Indian-controlled Kashmir.
"The understanding between the two countries has been repeatedly violated," Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Misri said late Saturday, accusing Pakistan of violating the agreement.
"We call on Pakistan to take appropriate steps to resolve these violations and handle the situation with serious and responsible," he said in a press conference in New Delhi. Misri said the Indian army was "retaliation" for what he called a "border invasion."
In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry blames Indian troops for launching ceasefire violations. The ministry said Pakistan remains committed to the agreement and its forces are dealing with the situation with responsibility and restraint.
"We believe that any problem in the smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be solved at the appropriate level," the ministry said.
The first word of the truce comes from US President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social Platform the fact that India and Pakistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire: "Congratulations to both countries on their use of common sense and great wisdom. Thank you for your attention to this issue!"
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a speech on Saturday that his country agreed to a ceasefire to the greater peace interest of the region and hopes that all outstanding issues between India and India, including the long-standing disputes over the Kashmir region, will be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
Misri said the head of military operations from both countries spoke on Saturday afternoon and agreed that “both sides will cease all shooting and military operations on land and in the air and at sea.”
However, power was cut in two cities hours after the agreement, after the explosion heard by residents of Srinagar and Jamu in India-controlled Kashmir. No immediate reports of casualties.
Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, said in a social media article: “What the hell happened to the ceasefire?
Conflicts between India and Pakistan are not uncommon, and the two countries have regularly engaged in wars, conflicts and conflicts since their independence from British India in 1947.
The latest ceasefire in hostilities comes after India launched a cross-border missile strike at Pakistan Air Force Base after several high-speed missiles were fired in Islamabad on Saturday toward military and civilian infrastructure in Punjab. Pakistan said it responded with a retaliatory strike.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had been engaged to senior officials from both countries in the past 48 hours. They include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharif, Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir.
Rubio said the two governments agreed to "start negotiations on a wide range of issues in neutral locations".
Although the Pakistanis initially celebrated the revenge of their army, they later became ecstatic about the truce, saying it was a time for national pride and relief after days of tension.
In Islamabad, Zubaida Bibi expressed his joy in restoring peace with India.
"War only brings suffering," she said. "We're so happy to calm down and it feels like Eid to me. We won."
Tensions have soared since the attack on a popular tourist site in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22, killing 26 civilians, mainly Hindu tourists.
The Indian military held a press conference in New Delhi before a ceasefire on Saturday, saying Pakistan’s three aerial bases in Kashmir were targeting medical facilities and schools.
"The action to Pakistan was answered appropriately," said Indian Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
According to a Pakistan military spokesperson, the Indian missile targets the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital Islamabad, Murid Air Base in Chakwal City and Rafiqui Air Base in Zhang District, eastern Punjab Province, said.
There was no immediate report on the strike or the incidents of its residents in the densely populated Rawalpindi.
Pakistan's military has said it used a medium-range Fateh missile to hit Indian missile storage facilities and air bases in the cities of Pathankot and Udhampur. Army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif said the country's air force assets were safe after the Indian attack.
The Associated Press cannot independently verify all actions attributed to Pakistan or India.
After Pakistan's retaliation was announced, Indian-controlled Kashmir residents said they heard loud explosions in multiple places, including the big cities of Srinagar and Jamu, and the garrison towns in Udangpur.
"The explosion we heard today was different from the explosion we heard in the last two nights during the drone attack," said Shesh Paul Vaid, a former police officer and resident of Jamu. "It looks like a war here."
Waid said explosions were heard from the area of the military base, adding that the target of the Army site was. Residents living near Srinagar Airport are also air force bases, he said they were shocked by the explosion of the jets and the sound of thriving.
"I'm awake, but the explosion has freed my children from sleep. They're starting to cry," said Mohammed Yasin, a resident of Srinagar.
Omar Abdullah, the highest elected official of Kashmir, welcomed the ceasefire. But if this happened for two or three days, he said, “we may have avoided bloodshed and lost precious lives.”