US top diplomat Rubio speaks with Pakistan army chief, urges de-escalation

(Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir on Friday and urged both Pakistan and India to find ways to de-escalate, a U.S. Department Of State spokesperson said.

Rubio also offered U.S. assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts, the spokesperson said.

Pakistan said it launched a military operation against India early on Saturday, targeting multiple bases including a missile storage site in northern India as the neighbours extended their worst fighting in nearly three decades.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Edmund Klamann)