India should avoid regional war in its response to Pahalgam attack: Vance

US Vice President JD Vance has urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint as the ties between the two neighbours worsen following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Vance asked Pakistan to cooperate with India in tracing the Pakistan-based terrorists.

 

Speaking to Fox News, Vance expressed hope that India’s counteraction to the terrorist attack does not lead to broader conflict. He said, “Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn't lead to a broader regional conflict.”

 

Vance added, “We hope, frankly, that Pakistan, to the extent that they’re responsible, cooperates with India to make sure that the terrorists sometimes operating in their territory are hunted down and dealt with.”

 

 

Vance’s comment comes a day after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke to India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Hegseth informed Singh that the US supports India’s right to defend itself.

 

Recent developments following the attack 

Earlier this week. US State Secretary Marco Rubio spoke with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging both countries to work towards a way that ensures peace and security is maintained in the region. He also called for de-escalation in the region. Jaishankar, however, informed Rubio that the perpetrators of the attack must be brought to justice.

 

Rubico, in his conversation with Shehbaz Sharif, also urged the latter to cooperate with India in its investigation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. The responsibility of the attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy group of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a UN-designated terrorist group based in Pakistan.

 

Global support for India amid crisis

 

After India downgraded its diplomatic ties with Pakistan after the attack, several world leaders have called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express condolences over the loss of lives and stated that they supported India in its fight against terrorism. The leaders also condemned the attack.

 

The two countries also announced a slew of measures and suspended key agreements, including the Indus Waters Treaty and the Simla Agreement. Both Pakistan and India have also closed their airspace to one another. The Indian government has also blocked access to some Pakistani YouTube channels and Instagram accounts of several Pakistani celebrities.

Amidst the worsening tensions, Pakistan troops continue to violate the ceasefire across the Line of Control (LoC) for the eighth consecutive night.