US President Donald Trump has described India’s missile attack on Pakistan as “a shame” and expressed hope that the situation would de-escalate quickly.
Speaking during a swearing-in ceremony for Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House, Trump told reporters, “It’s a shame. We just heard about it as we were walking in the doors of the Oval. Just heard about it.”
He added, “They’ve been fighting for many, many decades… I hope it ends very quickly.”
Trump’s comments came hours after Pakistan’s DG ISPR confirmed Indian airstrikes hit five locations including Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Muridke, targeting civilian areas including a mosque. Security sources said one child was among three people who were martyred in the Indian attack.
Pakistan’s armed forces responded, shooting down two Indian jets while safeguarding all Pakistani aircraft, the security sources further said adding that retaliatory operations had gone underway.
India’s Defense Ministry admitted strikes but claimed nine targets, without specifics. Pakistan closed Islamabad airspace, diverting flights, amid a “red alert.” DG ISPR vowed Pakistan would respond “at a time and place of its choosing,” calling the attack “cowardly.” Muzaffarabad experienced a blackout post-strike.
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors escalated sharply after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which killed 26 people.
India immediately blamed Pakistan-based elements but offered no evidence, a claim Islamabad strongly rejected.
In retaliation, India on April 23 closed the Wagah land border, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, and revoked visas for Pakistani nationals.
Pakistan responded by declaring any water disruption an “act of war” and shutting its side of the Wagah crossing.
The diplomatic crisis intensified when Pakistan’s Senate unanimously dismissed India’s allegations as baseless on April 25. The next day, the Pakistani High Commission in London was vandalized during pro-India protests.
