Abu Dhabi [UAE], May 7 (ANI): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the UAE, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation, UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement on Wednesday.

As per UAE MOFA, the UAE Foreign Minister gave a call to India and Pakistan to 'exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace'.

He gave a call for dialogue and mutual understanding to prevent military escalation, strengthen stability in South Asia, and avoid further regional tensions.

The Foreign Ministry highlighted his remarks where he reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity.

Foreign Minister Al Nahyan emphasized that the UAE will continue its efforts to support all initiatives aimed at achieving peaceful resolutions to regional and international conflicts and mitigating their humanitarian consequences, the Ministry said in its concluding remarks.

The comments come in the wake of Indian strikes under 'Operation Sindoor,' which targeted nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

India's Ministry of Defence said the action was in direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. The ministry stated, 'Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted.'

Indian Armed Forces successfully struck nine terror targets, four in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Sialkot, and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), using special precision munitions in a coordinated operation, sources told ANI. The operation was jointly carried out by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, with the mobilisation of assets and troops. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was constantly monitoring Operation Sindoor throughout the night, sources confirmed to ANI.

The strikes on all nine targets were successful, sources further revealed. The Indian forces selected the locations to target top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leaders involved in sponsoring terrorist activities in India. (ANI)