US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will urge his Indian and Pakistani counterparts not to escalate, his spokeswoman said Tuesday, as tensions soar between the arch-rivals after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
"We are reaching out to both parties and telling, of course, them to not escalate the situation," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.
"The secretary expects to speak with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India as early as today or tomorrow," she said.
"He is encouraging other national leaders, other foreign ministers, to also reach out to the countries on this issue," she said.
The United States, which has close ties with India, initially had voiced solidarity after the April 22 attack in which gunmen killed 26 men in the tourism hub of Pahalgam.
Rubio's focus on diplomacy comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the army would enjoy "operational freedom" to respond to the attack.
India accuses Pakistan of backing the attack. Pakistan denies the charge but has long criticized Indian rule in divided, Muslim-majority Kashmir.