Washington, May 8 -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation after Pakistan started firing again on PoJK border, US State Department said on Thursday

He further expressed US support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications.

"The Secretary reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism," US State Department wrote in a statement.

In response Jaishankar, appreciated US commitment and said that India "will firmly counter any attempts at escalation."

"Spoke with US ...