India and Pakistan will resolve their issues independently, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday, as tensions between the two countries escalated following a deadly attack in India’s Kashmir region—the worst in nearly two decades.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump referenced the historical conflict in the disputed border area, noting that he knew the leaders of both countries but did not comment when asked whether he would reach out to them.
“They’ll get it figured out one way or the other,” he said during his flight. “There’s great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been.”
On Tuesday, 26 individuals were killed in a shooting attack at a tourist site in Kashmir. India has accused Pakistani elements of being involved, a claim that Islamabad has denied.
Both India and Pakistan claim the region of Kashmir and have fought two wars over it.
Relations between the two South Asian nations have deteriorated in the aftermath of the attack, with India suspending a critical water-sharing agreement and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines. Their trade ties are also at risk.
On Friday, Indian stock markets dropped amid fears of further tensions as authorities searched for militants in the region, although they later recovered some of their losses.
