India and Pakistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, unexpectedly halting the worst fighting in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors, just when their tit-for-tat strikes appeared to be spiraling out of control.

The sudden announcement of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire followed four days of steady escalation between India and Pakistan and mixed signals from Washington.

The United States, India and Pakistan on Saturday announced that the two South Asian nuclear powers have reached an immediate ceasefire, though India has reported some violations since. The surprise announcement of a truce came just hours after Pakistan announced following days of heightened tensions and overnight missile attacks on both sides of