India, Pakistan military operations chiefs hold talks, Indian army says

The military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan spoke by phone on Monday, the Indian army said, as New Delhi reopened airports and shares rose in both countries following a ceasefire that paused days of intense fighting last week.

There were no reports of explosions or projectiles fired overnight, with the Indian army saying Sunday was the first peaceful night along their border in recent days.

Saturday's ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump, followed four days of intense exchanges of fire as the nuclear-armed arch rivals targeted each other's military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians.

Leaders of India and Pakistan were "unwavering", and the US "helped a lot", Trump said on Monday, adding that trade was a "big reason" why the countries stopped fighting.

"We are going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan...and India. We are negotiating with India right now. We are soon going to negotiate with Pakistan," he said.

Pakistan has thanked the US for brokering the ceasefire while India, which opposes third-party involvement in its disputes with Pakistan, has not commented on Washington's role.

The discussion between the military operations chiefs focused on the ceasefire, Indian broadcaster CNN-News18 reported, citing top government sources. It said curbs imposed by the countries on each other remained in place, including the suspension of trade and closure of their borders.

The Indian army said details of the talks would be shared soon. The media unit of the Pakistani military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due to address the nation at 8pm (1430 GMT) and local media said he would speak on last week's strikes on "terrorist camps" in Pakistan which sparked the military conflict.

Modi has not spoken publicly on the strikes or the fighting.

The military confrontation began on Wednesday, when India said it launched strikes on nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir following an attack by Islamist militants in Indian Kashmir last month that killed 26 men. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan.

Islamabad denied any links to the attack and called for a neutral investigation. It said the targets hit on Wednesday were civilian sites.

Hindu-majority India and Muslim Pakistan both rule part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir, but claim it in full.