Ammon News - U.S. President Donald Trump termed rising tension between India and Pakistan a shame, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to officials in the nuclear-armed rivals after India attacked several sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

India is an important U.S. partner for Washington, which aims to counter China's rising influence, while Pakistan remains an ally, despite its diminished importance after the U.S. withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.

Pakistan said it was mounting a response to India's military actions late on Tuesday, which followed an Islamist militant attack that killed 26 in the Indian-administered side of the Himalayan region on April 22.

"It's a shame, we just heard about it," Trump told reporters, opens new tab at the White House. "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."

He added, "I just hope it ends very quickly."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X, opens new tab he was monitoring the situation closely, while adding that Washington would continue to engage the Asian neighbors to reach a "peaceful resolution." Reuters