Iran Calls on India, Pakistan to Show More Self-Restraint

“The Islamic Republic of Iran call on both its friendly and neighboring countries of India and Pakistan to show full restraint and avoid resorting to any non-peaceful means and resolve their problems through direct dialogue and negotiating table,” Qassemi said in a statement released late on Friday.

“The escalation of tensions and continuation of crisis between the two countries will pave the ground for extremist and terrorists groups and their supporters to spread insecurity and instability in the region,” he cautioned.

The Iranian spokesman further expressed the hope that India and Pakistan find peaceful and rational solutions to the problems.

According to media reports, Pakistan’s military said on Thursday that two Pakistani soldiers were killed after clashes with Indian troops on the de-facto border between the two countries.

The Indian army said it had conducted “surgical attacks” in the disputed region to foil a “terrorist attack,” CNN quoted India’s Director General of Military Operations.

But Pakistan insisted that no incursion had taken place into the territory it controls, saying there had only been an exchange of fire. It promised a “forceful response” if there was a repeat of the operation.

“The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists' bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by India to create false effects," the Pakistani military said in a statement.

Pakistan said its soldiers died in “unprovoked” firing along the Line of Control (LoC) dividing the Kashmir region.