The UN chief has issued a fresh appeal for India and Pakistan to lower tensions in wake of last week's deadly militant attack on Indian troops in the disputed Kashmir region.
Antonio Guterres called on New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve their differences through "meaningful mutual engagement", Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman, said in a statement late Wednesday.
On Feb. 14, at least 44 Indian troops were killed when an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into a paramilitary bus along the Jammu-Kashmir highway. Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), a banned Pakistani militant group, claimed the attack.
India blamed Pakistan for the attack, allegations Islamabad vehemently denied.
Condemning the attack and subsequent violence, Guterres said: "It is essential that there be accountability under international law and the perpetrators of terrorist acts be brought swiftly to justice."
He added: "All difficult challenges can be resolved peacefully and satisfactorily through meaningful mutual engagement."
The statement said Guterres urged the two nuclear-armed neighbors "to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the situation does not further deteriorate."
Disputed region
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.
Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.
According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.
