President Trump on Tuesday weighed in on reports of India striking Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region, calling it a “shame” and expressing hope that the skirmish between the two nations ends quickly.
“It’s a shame. We just heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval,” Trump said during a swearing-in ceremony for Steve Witkoff, his special envoy for the Middle East.
“I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past,” Trump said. “They’ve been fighting for a long time, you know? They’ve been fighting for many, many decades, and centuries, actually, if you really think about it. No, I just hope it ends very quickly.”
India’s government said it hit nine sites in Pakistan and on the Pakistan side of the Kashmir region, according to The New York Times.
The strikes followed a militant attack last month in the Indian-controlled part of the Kashmir region, which has been a disputed area between India and Pakistan for decades. India blamed the attack, which killed 26 people, on Pakistan, which has denied responsibility.
Tuesday’s strikes could raise the prospect of a growing conflict between India and Pakistan, both of which have nuclear capabilities.
