India and Pakistan Seek to Lower Tensions After Air Strike

Feb 27 2019, 5:37 AMFeb 27 2019, 5:59 AMFebruary 27 2019, 5:37 AMFebruary 27 2019, 5:59 AM

(Bloomberg) -- After the most serious escalation in military tensions between India and Pakistan in decades, the bitter rivals are now looking to lower the temperature with renewed diplomatic outreach.

Pakistan has sought help from the United Nations to de-escalate the situation, while India -- which is facing national elections in a few weeks -- reached out to countries including U.S., U.K., China, France and Russia and urged the government in Islamabad to take action against terror groups based in the country.

The diplomatic back-and-forth came after Indian Air Force jets bombed targets inside Pakistan, which scrambled its own jets in response, for the first time in nearly 50 years. The target was a camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammed which claimed responsibility for the Feb. 14 suicide car bombing in Kashmir which killed 40 members of India’s security forces.

"I do not foresee much room for escalation as each side can claim victory," said Anit Mukherjee, an assistant professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and former Indian Army major. "India can say that it bombed the terrorist camps, whereas Pakistan can claim it chased away Indian air force jets."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the foreign ministers of both countries late on Tuesday. He stressed Washington’s "close security partnership" with New Delhi, while urging Pakistan to avoid any military response and take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil.

Kashmir Clashes

Meanwhile, security forces clashed with militants in Indian-administered Kashmir early Wednesday, killing two insurgents, according to a security spokesman.

Prior to Tuesday’s attack, which India said killed more than 300 people in a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp inside Pakistan, New Delhi had detained more than 150 people mainly linked to a local separatist group and boosted its military presence in the region, according to news reports.

On Wednesday, Pakistan announced its Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had sought out United Nations assistance to help de-escalate tensions with India. "India’s deliberate aggressive action is a sheer violation of U.N. Charter, international laws and intra-state norms. Pakistan reserves the right to respond in its defense. UNSC must immediate stop India from its aggressive actions," the letter said.

A meeting of the country’s top civilian and military leadership, including Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, is expected to be held today to discuss situation.

Tuesday’s strikes represent the worst escalation since 2001, when Pakistan and India moved ballistic missiles and troops to their border following an attack on parliament in New Delhi that was also blamed on Jaish-e-Mohammad. India and Pakistan have fought three major wars since partition and independence in 1947.

Both India and the U.S. see Pakistan as providing safe haven for terrorist groups and point to the fact that the leadership of groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the Mumbai attacks in 2008, still live freely in Pakistan.