U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire” following four days of escalating military strikes between the two nuclear-armed nations.
The development marked a potential turning point after a dangerous period of cross-border attacks targeting military installations on both sides.
President Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, stating, “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.”
Pakistan’s foreign minister confirmed the ceasefire agreement in a separate statement, also describing it as effective “with immediate effect.” The coordinated declarations brought a measure of relief to a volatile region where tensions had intensified rapidly throughout the week.
The flare-up between India and Pakistan, both of whom possess nuclear weapons, had sparked international alarm. On Saturday, those concerns deepened after the Pakistan military initially announced that its top-level civil and military leadership — responsible for overseeing the nation’s nuclear arsenal — would be convening.
However, the Pakistani defense minister later walked back the statement, clarifying that no such meeting had been scheduled.
Meanwhile, the civilian toll from the clashes has been significant. Officials reported that at least 66 civilians had been killed in the past four days due to artillery strikes and retaliatory attacks along the contested border.
The violence had also prompted evacuations from border towns and led to heightened alert statuses in both nations’ armed forces.
The latest conflict was one of the most intense outbreaks of violence between India and Pakistan in recent years. While skirmishes across the Line of Control in Kashmir are not uncommon, the scale and frequency of the recent exchanges had raised fears of a broader military confrontation.