U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called senior officials in India and Pakistan in an effort to defuse the crisis that followed last week’s deadly attack in Kashmir, the State Department said.

Pakistan is bracing for Indian military action before Thursday night, officials warned, but cautioned that neither side would benefit from a return to war.

The US has urged India and Pakistan to work together to "de-escalate tensions" after a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week killed 26 civilians. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate talks with India's foreign minister and Pakistan's prime minister on Wednesday and called on them to "maintain peace and security in South Asia".