A flare-up between archfoes India and Pakistan appeared to be easing on Saturday after Islamabad handed back a captured Indian pilot amid efforts by global powers to prevent a war between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who became the face and symbol of the biggest clash between India and Pakistan in many years, walked across the border just before 9 p.m. on Friday in a high-profile handover shown on live television.
Shelling on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC), which acts as a de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region, continued for a few hours after his release, resulting in four deaths, but then stopped overnight, officials said.