International Desk : Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Pakistan`s Army Chief, General Asim Munir.

According to a Reuters report published on Saturday (May 10), the conversation took place on Friday (May 9). US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the call in an official statement.

During the discussion, Secretary Rubio urged both India and Pakistan to seek ways to de-escalate the situation. He also expressed the United States` willingness to support "constructive dialogue" between the two nuclear-armed neighbours to prevent further conflict.

Earlier this week, Secretary Rubio also held separate talks with India`s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan`s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Background on the Crisis
The current tensions began after a brutal attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which left 26 tourists dead. India blamed Pakistan for the assault, a claim Islamabad has strongly denied.

In response, India launched "Operation Sindoor" on Tuesday night, targeting nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. That same night, Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets.

Additionally, Pakistan`s military spokesperson, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, announced that Pakistani forces destroyed 29 Indian drones—allegedly Israeli-made—over Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and other areas.

In retaliation, Pakistan initiated "Operation Buny?n al-Mars?s" early Saturday morning (May 10), targeting Indian military installations in northern and western regions of the country.

India, however, claimed to have intercepted most of the drones and missiles. The Indian defense ministry stated that counterstrikes destroyed Pakistani air defense systems and radar facilities, including one in Lahore.

While India has not officially acknowledged the loss of any aircraft, two US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Pakistan used Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets to down two Indian warplanes. One of the downed aircraft was reportedly a French-made Rafale.