US urges India, Pak to work bilaterally to reduce tensions

Washington, D.C. [United States], Nov. 18 (ANI): With the tensions between India and Pakistan at the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) refusing to die down and has resulted in killing of soldiers on both sides, the United States (U.S.) has urged both India and Pakistan "to work bilaterally to try to reduce tensions". Answering a question at a daily press briefing on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson John Kirby said, "We remain in close communication with our counterparts in both countries, and again, as we've said before, urge them both to work bilaterally to try to reduce tensions." A terrorist attack in Uri claimed the lives of 19 soldiers, which was followed by a surgical strike by the Indian Army at the seven Pakistani terror launch pads in which reportedly 40-45 terrorists were killed. Since the surgical strike, the LoC and the IB have been witnessing escalation in exchange of fire between armies of the two countries that claimed lives of many soldiers. On Thursday, the Indian Army rejected Pakistan's claim of killing 11 Indian soldiers in cross-border firing across the LoC. "No fatal casualties due to Pak firing on 14, 15 or 16 November. Pak Army Chief claim of killing Indian soldiers on 14 Nov false (sic)," Northern Command of Indian Army said in a tweet. Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had claimed that his troops killed at least 11 Indian jawans on the same day when seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory firing by Indian troops across the LoC. He claimed that Pakistan has killed "40-44 Indian troops" in the current clashes, but the Indian Army was refusing to accept and own its casualties. General Sharif said India should "show courage" and own the deaths of its security personnel. "The Indian army should man up and accept their losses," he said.(ANI)