Pakistan indicated Saturday it would consider de-escalation if India ceased its attacks, following India’s statement that it sought non-escalation if Pakistan agreed to the same.

The exchange of strikes occurred on Saturday amidst the ongoing conflict triggered by a massacre last month, which India blames on Pakistan.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar warned that any Indian strikes would be met with a response from Pakistan.

Dar stated to Geo News that he conveyed this message to U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who contacted him after speaking with Indian officials.

Dar said that Pakistan responded because “our patience had reached its limit,” adding “If they stop here, we will also consider stopping.”

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Saturday that Rubio spoke with Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar, emphasizing the need for both sides to de-escalate, re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculations, and offered U.S. support for “productive discussion.”

India reported targeting Pakistani air bases in response to Islamabad’s missile firings at military and civilian infrastructure in India’s Punjab state early Saturday.

Pakistan claimed earlier to have intercepted most of the missiles and that its strikes were retaliatory.

Indian Col. Sofiya Qureshi stated at a New Delhi news conference that Pakistan targeted health facilities and schools at three air bases in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

She said that a “Befitting reply has been given to Pakistani actions.”

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh stated India’s commitment to “non-escalation” if Pakistan reciprocated, but also noted Pakistani ground forces moving towards forward areas, “indicating an offensive intent to further escalate the situation.”

She added that “Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness.”

Singh said India conducted “precision strikes only at identified military targets in response to Pakistani actions,” which included technical infrastructure, command and control centers, radar locations, and weapon storage areas to ensure “minimum collateral damage.”

Singh also said that “All hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded to appropriately.”

The Pakistani military reported using medium-range Fateh missiles to target an Indian missile storage facility and airbases in Pathankot and Udhampur.

Pakistan Army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, affirmed that the country’s air force assets were secure after India’s strikes.

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