NEW YORK 20 Feb (ANA) - The United Nations chief has called on India and Pakistan to take immediate steps to defuse tensions in the wake of the worst attack on the security forces in decades in Indian-administered Kashmir.

 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday offered to broker peace as the two South Asian neighbours have been locked in a diplomatic clash following a suicide attack on February 14 in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 42 paramilitary personnel.

 

Vowing a "strong response", Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday gave a "free hand" to the army to punish those behind the deadly attack in Pulwama district, claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) armed group.

 

Nine people, including four Indian security forces, were killed in a gun battle days after the Pulwama attack. India claimed three suspected rebels behind the attack were also among the dead.

 

"We are deeply concerned at the increasing tensions between the two countries," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.

 

Guterres "stresses the importance of both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps" to de-escalate, while also offering to mediate "should both sides ask", said Dujarric.

 

Maleeha Lodhi, the Pakistani envoy to the UN, said, "The situation between Pakistan and India is deteriorating."

 

"We see an escalation in rhetoric from the Indian side, a spate of threatening statements by Indian leaders... The situation is very fraught," Lodhi told Al Jazeera.(ANA)

FA/ANA/20 February 2019--------