Washington: Sending a strong message to Pakistan that it needs to act against UN-designated terrorist groups, the White House today called for de-escalation of tension between India and Pakistan.

"What I can tell you is that we have seen some reports from the region. Those reports include that Indian and Pakistani militaries have been in communication with one another and we encourage continued discussions between India and Pakistan to avoid escalation," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.