WASHINGTON: Cautioning that further military activity will exacerbate the situation between Pakistan and India, the US State Department urged both the sides to continue taking steps to defuse tensions.<br /><br />“The position of the United States is we continue to urge both sides to continue to take steps to de-escalate the situation, and that includes through direct communication,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino told a briefing.<br /><br />He was responding to a question about the US assessment of the situation between the two countries and efforts made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in calming the situation.<br /><br />The spokesman said: “We believe strongly that further military activity will exacerbate the situation.”<br /><br />He said the US secretary led diplomatic engagement directly, which played an essential role in de-escalating the tensions between the two sides.
