Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to his Pakistani counterpart on Sunday and offered Russia's help in resolving tensions between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, the Foreign Ministry said.

The United States is stepping up pressure on India and Pakistan to avoid conflict in Kashmir after a tourist massacre in an Indian-administered area of the divided territory last week.

The way events unfolded after the Pulwama bombing and Pahalgam killings is strikingly similar, says a former diplomat.