Pakistan and India have reached an agreement to withdraw their forces to positions held before the latest round of fighting, with the pullback expected to be completed by the end of May, according to informed sources cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday.

A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Troops will be withdrawn to the positions they held prior to the conflict by the end of May,” in what is being seen as a step toward de-escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The move follows heightened tensions after a deadly attack near the town of Pahalgam in India’s Jammu and Kashmir region on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly civilians. India accused Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of orchestrating the assault.

In retaliation, India’s Ministry of Defense announced on May 7 that it had launched “Operation Sindhoor,” targeting what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistani territory.

Observers hope the agreement will pave the way for de-escalation and renewed diplomatic engagement, particularly over the long-standing dispute in Kashmir.