India launched missile strikes against nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK in the early hours of Wednesday — some two weeks after the deadly Pahalgam attack. The US has indicated that it is closely monitoring the situation and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also spoke to top American officials soon after the strikes. Meanwhile US President Donald Trump has said the development was expected and urged a swift end to hostilities.
“We just heard about it as we were walking through the doors of the Oval. Just heard about it. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve been fighting for many, many decades. And centuries, actually, if you think about it. I hope it ends very quickly,” Trump said.
A statement released by India soon after the strikes said that the strikes had been conducted in retaliation against the barbaric Pahalgam that left 26 people dead and several others injured. A press release from the Indian Embassy in Washington DC said the country had “credible leads, technical inputs, testimony of the survivors and other evidence pointing towards the clear involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists” in the April 22 attack.
“It was expected that Pakistan would take action against terrorists and the infrastructure that supports them. Instead, during the fortnight that has gone by, Pakistan has indulged in denial and made allegations of false flag operations against India,” it added.
The US State Department also acknowledged the situation but refrained from offering an immediate assessment. Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar meanwhile told ANI that India “had the right to defend itself after what happened in Pahalgam” and urged the US to support the other country.
“We are aware of the reports, however we have no assessment to offer at this time. This remains an evolving situation, and we are closely monitoring developments,” a State Department spokesperson told ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)