India and Pakistan may have a pillow after their clash. Will they take it?

For two weeks, when India promised a strong response to a terrorist massacre linked to Pakistan, the only real question seemed to be how difficult the strike.

The answer came in the early hours of Wednesday, such as India High planes were sent by air to hit several sites In Pakistan, since the Pakistani army mobilized its own fleet to try to launch Indian aircraft from the sky.

By the end of the day, a long time after the missiles stopped flying and the killing ended, both sides evaluated and found that they had enough to demand victory – or to increase the escalation of the conflict.

India struck Pakistan more than at any time Contracts of enmity Among two nuclear armed competitors. The damage to all accounts was widely, as more than 20 people were killed in dozens of strikes across six sites, including in cities known for a long time to provide terrorist leaders wanted for the massacre that was exposed to India.

But there was also increasing evidence that Pakistan had given serious blows. Two or three Indian planes landed on the Indian side of the border, according to Indian officials and Western diplomats, as well as local media reports and eyewitnesses. It was exactly what India was hoping to avoid after being subjected to a similar embarrassment The last time I exchanged military strikes with PakistanIn 2019.

The question now is whether Pakistan decides that it must answer India’s strikes on a Pakistani heart with its own attack on Indian soil.

Currently, Pakistan says it keeps all options open. But diplomats and analysts have expressed some hope that today’s events may provide the two sides an engine that allows them to avoid a vortex in an all -out war.

Those who are looking for signs that the two countries may be serious about canceling the escalation, and partially indicates India’s data about its strikes. In its public advertisements and a wave of diplomatic activity, India confirmed that its work was limited and targeted, and that it did not seek an escalation.

The nature of the strikes, which targeted places related to terrorist groups that are recognized in India, can help the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the general anger that followed last month A terrorist massacre in Kashmir.

“These measures have been measured, non -scientific, proportional and responsible,” said Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Missri.

On the Pakistani side, military and civilian officials have tried to maintain the focus on the narration on what Pakistan’s lead victory called to shoot down Indian aircraft.

Pakistani officials have publicly claimed that the country’s forces had shot down five Indian planes. In private talks with diplomats, officials confirmed that they remained bound. They said that the Pakistani forces waited for Indian planes to start launching their cargo before hitting them.

In reference to a return to normal, Pakistan announced on Wednesday night that its airspace is open again.

“Our armed forces were in preparation around the clock throughout the week, and ready to shoot down enemy aircraft at the moment they took off and throwing them into the sea,” Pakistani Prime Minister Sharifz said in a speech. “The five Indian planes that fell last night would have been 10, but pilots and Alugons acted with caution.”

Analysts and diplomats said what will come after whether the two sides have been extracted enough to satisfy their people, and whether enough international diplomacy can be mobilized at the time of global turmoil.

Shashi Thor, a member of the Indian Parliament, said that the heinous nature of the massacre of last month in Kashmir did not leave the Indian government any choice but to carry out some military measures, “because the terrorists will feel that they can come, kill and go out without evacuation.”

But he said that the Indian side “calibrated an allergy” he responded to ensuring that any chance of escalation was reduced.

Mr. Thor said: “I think this was done in a way that sought to transfer completely that we are not looking to see this as the opening in a long war, but rather as a one -time review.”

He said there was no official Indian confirmation that the Pakistani army had shot down Indian planes. “But if it is correct that Pakistan was able to shoot down two planes, they may be easily able to say that honor is satisfied,” he said.

The Pakistani side, while it needs to show strength against India, also has strong reasons to avoid more escalation.

Pakistan can barely carry a long war at a time Severe economic hardship. It will also face a complex mystery in choosing goals within Indian territory. India does not have a terrorist attack to strike in dream attacks. One of the potential options, the amazing Indian military facility, would risk serious revenge.

Moeed Youssaf, a former National Security Adviser in Pakistan, said he saw that the case was one of the deterrence – to clarify India that it could not strike and move away from international borders.

“Mr. Yosaf said there is a discussion in decision -making circles, “in Pakistan on whether allegations of success in the success of Indian aircraft are sufficient.

Mohamed Said, a retired general who held the position of chief of the Pakistan Army General Staff, said that the two sides would need help in reducing tensions.

“The international community must understand, regardless of the extent of distraction with Ukraine or anywhere else, this is a crisis of fermentation with enormous effects,” said Mr. Saeed. “If the area is rising in the open war, and there is no crisis management framework, then what would you continue to fly in Washington brokers, London, Rome every time?”

He said that the global powers should make “payment to participate.” Otherwise, he said: “We put ourselves for the same crisis again.”

While it seems that there is a wide consensus on the damage caused by Indian strikes on the Pakistani side, the exact nature of the reported landing of Indian aircraft was not clear.

Public accounts on both sides indicate that it is unlikely that Indian aircraft crosses the Pakistani airspace. All evidence was that India carried out its strikes, whether from heaven or with ground missiles, from its territory.

If it is true that Indian aircraft did not enter the Pakistani airspace, it is unclear how Pakistan was likely to fall.

Pakistani military officials said they used air missiles into the air to shoot down the aircraft, which cannot be independently verified. In interactions with foreign diplomats, Pakistani officials described the confrontation of almost an hour -long fight along the line that divides India and Pakistan.

Military analysts said that due to the long -range missiles that both countries enjoy in their arsenal, they will not need to violate each other to carry out border strikes against air targets or land.

Kumar Day and Pragarti kilo by It contributed to the reports from New Delhi.