President Donald Trump took charge of the U.S. response to a spiraling conflict between India and Pakistan, calling the escalating tensions "a shame" after India launched missile strikes on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The strikes, conducted early Wednesday Asia time, were in retaliation for an April 22 militant attack in Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

"It's a shame. We just heard about it," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They've been fighting for a long time. I just hope it ends very quickly."

India’s Operation Sindoori targeted "terrorist infrastructure" in Kotli, Ahmadpur East, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, and Muridke, according to India’s Defense Ministry.

"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," the ministry stated. "Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted."

Pakistan denied the claims, asserting the strikes killed at least three civilians, including a child, and injured a dozen.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack an "act of war," vowing a "befitting reply."

In an official statement, Military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warned Pakistan will fire back when India least anticipates an attack.

"Some time ago from now, the cowardly enemy India launched air strikes on Subhanullah mosque in Bahwalpur’s Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air. All of our air force jets are airborne," Chaudhry told Pakistan's Dawn News. "This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India’s airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan.

"Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that the United States "monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely" and emphasized Washington’s commitment to a "peaceful resolution."

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed Rubio on the strikes, India’s embassy in Washington confirmed.

The U.S. has urged restraint, with Trump previously stating on April 25, "They'll get it figured out one way or the other."

However, Washington’s attention is divided, with ongoing diplomatic efforts in Ukraine and Gaza.

The conflict stems from the disputed Kashmir region, claimed entirely by both nuclear-armed nations but divided by the Line of Control. The April 22 massacre in Pahalgam, where gunmen killed at least 26 people and injured a dozen others—in a rare assault on Hindu tourists that reignited tensions 

India accused Pakistan of harboring militants, a charge Pakistan denies while calling for a neutral probe.

Both countries have since downgraded ties, closed borders, suspended trade, and halted the 1960 water-sharing treaty.

Small arms fire has been exchanged along the Line of Control, and airspace restrictions are in place.

The U.S., balancing its strategic partnership with India against its alliance with Pakistan, faces a delicate diplomatic challenge.

India’s role as a counterweight to China is critical, while Pakistan’s influence has waned since the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.