Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan and India exchanged missile strikes on Saturday in a dramatic escalation following last month’s deadly attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. However, both sides later signaled a willingness to de-escalate if the other side holds back.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country would consider restraint if India refrained from further attacks. “We responded because our patience had reached its limit. If they stop here, we will also consider stopping,” Dar told Geo News, adding that he had conveyed this message to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio following his call with New Delhi.

India confirmed it launched strikes on Pakistani air bases after Islamabad fired multiple high-speed missiles into India’s Punjab state, targeting both military and civilian infrastructure. Pakistan claimed to have intercepted most of the missiles and said its military was conducting retaliatory strikes.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Secretary Rubio spoke with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, urging both countries to de-escalate and re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation. The US also offered to facilitate dialogue.

In New Delhi, Indian military officials said Pakistan had targeted health facilities and schools near air bases in Indian-controlled Kashmir. “A befitting reply has been given,” said Col. Sofiya Qureshi. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh added that India was committed to “non-escalation” if Pakistan reciprocated, but noted Pakistani ground troop movements suggesting further escalation.

Indian forces carried out “precision strikes” on Pakistani military targets, including radar sites and command centers, to minimize collateral damage, Singh said.

The Pakistani military said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to strike Indian missile depots and air bases in Pathankot and Udhampur. Pakistan also reported Indian strikes on its Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, and on air bases in Chakwal and Jhang districts.

No independent verification of the claimed strikes was immediately possible.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened the National Command Authority, which oversees strategic assets, following the attacks. Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said Pakistan’s air force assets remained intact.

Tensions have soared since the April 22 massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers—an accusation Islamabad denies.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, residents reported loud explosions in Srinagar, Jammu, and Udhampur. Former top police official Shesh Paul Vaid said the blasts were heavier than recent drone strikes. “It looks like a war here,” he said.

Srinagar resident Mohammed Yasin said the booms rattled his neighborhood near the airport. “I was already awake, but the explosions jolted my kids out of sleep. They started crying,” he said.

Praveen Donthi of the International Crisis Group said the situation has become a “remorseless race for military one-upmanship” with no clear off-ramp. “Civilian casualties are mounting, and de-escalation is becoming increasingly difficult,” he said.

India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed, have exchanged strikes and artillery fire in recent days, causing civilian casualties on both sides.

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