After deadly cross-border strikes, can India and Pakistan avoid all-out war?

Pakistan’s military has vowed that India will “pay dearly” after its airstrikes on Wednesday left at least 31 people dead in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, raising fears of an all-out war between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Pakistan’s military has vowed that India will “pay dearly” after its airstrikes on Wednesday left at least 31 people dead in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, raising fears of an all-out war between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

India says at least 16 Indian civilians, including three women and five children, have also been killed since Pakistan began shelling Wednesday across the two South Asian countries’ de facto border in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Exchange of live fire across the border also surged overnight.

Even as hostilities spilled into Thursday, both India and Pakistan emphasized that they had acted with restraint, and there are reports that security officials in both countries have started to open lines of communication. But in order to de-escalate, the two countries need international mediation and a way for both of them to declare victory, experts said.

New Delhi launched the strikes in response to an April 22 terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in which 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, were killed by militants India says were backed by Pakistan.

Pakistan, which denies involvement in the attack, has claimed partial victory in the Indian assault, saying it shot down five Indian fighter jets as well as 25 Indian drones. India has not confirmed those reports.