'Will firmly counter any attempts at escalation': Jaishankar after speaking to US Secy Marco Rubio amid Pakistan attack

India Pakistan tensions: EAM Jaishankar said India “will firmly counter any attempts at escalation," after his conversation with Marco Rubio, following Pakistan's latest attacks in Jammu on Thursday late evening.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Thursday, spoke with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging for “immediate de-escalation” amid soaring tensions between India and Pakistan.

Marco Rubio's conversation with Jaishankar and Pakistan PM Sharif came after Pakistan launched air strikes in border areas of Jammu, including Jammu airport, prompting response from Indian Air Defence system. The latter intercepted 8 missiles at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and Arnia sector, ANI reported citing defence officials.

Marco Rubio's conversation with Pakistan PM

In his call with Pakistan PM Sharif, Rubio “reiterated his calls for Pakistan to take concrete steps to end any support for terrorist groups,” reported AFP.

Rubio also “expressed sorrow for the reported loss of civilian lives in the current conflict,” AFP mentioned in its report.

Pakistan strikes Jammu

Pakistan's latest strikes in Jammu came just a day after Operation Sindoor, in which the Indian Armed Forces targeted nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

As a precautionary measure, a complete blackout has been enforced in several regions of Jammu, including Akhnoor, Kishtwar, and Samba. Blackouts have also been imposed in parts of Punjab—such as Amritsar, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur—and in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Sirens sounded and red flashes and projectiles could be seen in the night sky above the city, reported Reuters. Several parts of Jammu and the surrounding towns of Akhnoor, Samba and Kathua came under attack, the report added.

According to some eyewitnesses, one of the drones was seen dropping outside the Jammu airport.

A complete blackout has also been enforced in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Hoshiarpur in Punjab. “The blackout will continue till futher notice,” said Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had earlier said further retaliation was “increasingly certain” after both countries accused each other of launching drone attacks.