Donald Trump says he is happy to help calm ‘explosive’ situation in Kashmir

US president says he will raise issue with India’s Modi during G7 summit in France

Pakistan says three of its civilians died in gunfire at de facto border, while India says one soldier was killed and four wounded

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Protesters shout slogans at a demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan, on Tuesday over the situation in Kashmir. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:40am, 21 Aug 2019Updated: 10:07am, 21 Aug 2019

US President Donald Trump offered on Tuesday to mediate the “explosive” situation in Kashmir amid mounting international concern over a flare-up in violence between India and Pakistan in the divided region.

Speaking a day after phone calls with the premiers of both countries, Trump said he was happy to try and help calm the situation in Kashmir where tensions have spiked since India revoked autonomous rule in the part of the region it controls on August 5.

His comments came as Pakistan said three of its civilians died in Indian gunfire from across the de facto border in Kashmir known as The Line of Control.

And the Press Trust of India news agency quoted officials as saying one Indian soldier died and four were wounded when Pakistani troops opened fire on forward posts and villages along the LoC in the Poonch district on Tuesday.

Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and the situation in Kashmir is further complicated by the fact that China also claims part of the Himalayan region.