US President Donald Trump said yesterday that his intervention had prevented a ‘devastating nuclear war’ between India and Pakistan, after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire following days of confrontation.
“We stopped a nuclear conflict. I believe it would have been a devastating nuclear war in which millions would have been killed. So I’m very proud of that,” he told reporters at the White House.
The US President announced the truce on Saturday evening after four days of missile, drone and artillery attacks that left at least 60 people dead and forced thousands to flee from both sides.
The conflict began early Wednesday when India launched missile strikes it claimed destroyed ‘terrorist camps’ in Pakistan Kashmir.
Just hours after the ceasefire was announced, both India and Pakistan accused each other of ‘repeated violations’ of the truce. Meanwhile, loud explosions rocked Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, and several locations in India overnight. However, calm returned on both sides of the border, according to journalists.
Military leaders from both countries held phone talks last night, according to the Indian Chief of Staff, who noted that both sides discussed strengthening the truce and ‘agreed to consider immediate measures to reduce the number of troops deployed at the border’.
The recent confrontation – the most intense since the last war between the two countries in 1999 – sparked global concerns over the possibility of an all-out war.
There were initial doubts about the ceasefire, and the two sides traded accusations of breaking it just hours after Trump’s surprise announcement of the truce on social media.
“Last night was largely calm across... Kashmir and other areas along the international border,” the Indian army said.
“No incidents were reported, making it the first quiet night in days,” it added in a statement.
Authorities announced that India re-opened 32 airports yesterday, which had been closed due to the recent standoff.
In his first televised speech since the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday vowed a ‘firm response’ to any new ‘terrorist attack’.
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