WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke separately with senior leaders of India and Pakistan on Wednesday, urging both nations to ease tensions and prioritize regional stability following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir earlier this month.

According to readouts shared by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio condemned the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, and called for cooperation in bringing those responsible to justice.

"In his call with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Rubio emphasized the importance of accountability for acts of violence and called on Islamabad to support efforts to investigate the attack," the statement said.

Rubio also held a separate conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, during which he expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the attack and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to "cooperation with India against terrorism."

"He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia," the statement said.

Both calls come amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with New Delhi blaming Pakistan, saying that the attack had "cross-border" links.

Islamabad, however, has distanced itself from the attack, expressing "concern" and offering to cooperate with an independent inquiry into the attack.

India suspended a decades-long water-sharing agreement, the Indus Waters Treaty, a move condemned by Islamabad.

The two countries have also shut border crossings, and further downgraded diplomatic ties.