New York/Washington, 8 May

US President Donald Trump has said he wants India and Pakistan to “stop” what he described as “tit for tat” actions, saying if he can do anything to “help”, he will be there.

Trump's remarks came after the Indian military carried out strikes against terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan's Punjab province on Wednesday. Pakistan army carried out one of the most intense artillery and mortar shelling in years targeting forward villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Oh it’s so terrible. My position is I get along with both. I know both very well and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop and hopefully they can stop now. They have gone tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now. I know both, we get along with both the countries very well.

“Good relationships with both and I want to see it stop. And If I can do anything to help, I will be there,” Trump said in response to a question on the “war” between India and Pakistan.

He was speaking on Wednesday in the Oval Office after the swearing-in ceremony of David Perdue as US Ambassador to China.

Earlier, hours after the Indian strikes, Trump had said that India and Pakistan have been fighting for a long time and people knew “something was going to happen”.

“It’s a shame, we just heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval (Office). Just heard about it. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time.

“They’ve been fighting for many, many decades and centuries, actually, if you really think about it,” Trump said when asked about the attacks between India and Pakistan.

When asked if he has any message for the two countries, he said, “No, I just hope it ends very quickly.”

Meanwhile, a top American military commander has said that the US is “watching the situation very closely” after Indian military strikes.

“It’s right now too early to opine on any of that. We’re watching the situation very closely. We’re nested with our higher headquarters and USINDOPACOM as the information about these strikes becomes more clear,” US Army Pacific Commanding General, General Ronald Clark said during a digital press briefing Wednesday.

India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday hitting nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Punjab province of Pakistan in retaliation for the 22 April terror attack that killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said 31 people were killed and 57 others injured in the Indian missile strikes launched shortly after midnight.

Separately, at least 13 people, including four children and a soldier, were killed and 57 injured as the Pakistan army carried out one of the most intense artillery and mortar shelling in years targeting forward villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir after the Indian missile strikes.