India, Pakistan Agree to Immediate Ceasefire After Days of Escalation; U.S. Welcomes Peace Move
New Delhi : India and Pakistan have agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire”, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday, claiming American mediation brought an end to three days of intense military exchange between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
“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,” Trump posted on his platform Truth Social.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance shared the message, despite his earlier remarks that the conflict was “fundamentally none of our business.”
Ceasefire Confirmed by Military Channels
Indian officials confirmed that Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) initiated a call to his Indian counterpart on Saturday afternoon. According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, both sides agreed to cease all military actions—on land, air, and sea—effective from 5 PM.
“The ceasefire was worked out directly between the two DGMOs. The next round of talks will take place on May 12,” Misri said, notably omitting any reference to U.S. mediation.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar echoed a similar sentiment, tweeting,
“Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect… without compromising on sovereignty or territorial integrity.”
Escalation: From Drone Strikes to Airbase Destruction
The ceasefire was brokered after a dramatic escalation in hostilities. In the early hours of Saturday, Pakistan launched “Operation Bunyan-al-Marsoos,” targeting 26 military and civilian locations in India across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat using drones and missiles.
In response, Indian forces carried out precision strikes, destroying six major Pakistani airbases and multiple drone launchpads.
This retaliatory action came as part of Operation Sindoor, a counter-terror mission launched by India following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 25 tourists and one local. The Indian Army claims the operation neutralized over 100 militants linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
US Claims Diplomatic Role, India Pushes Back
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had been in constant contact with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the past 48 hours.
“India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,” Rubio tweeted.
“We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace.”
However, Indian officials swiftly countered this claim, stating there was “no decision” on any external multilateral talks or neutral venues.
