Support India's right to defend itself, says US Defence Secy Pete Hegseth

American Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday conveyed to his Indian counterpart, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his government’s support to India’s right to self-defence.

 

Hegseth, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, reiterated “full support” from the United States (US) government in India’s fight against terrorism.

 

The statement quoted Singh as telling Hegseth: “Pakistan has been exposed as a rogue state, fuelling global terrorism, and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye to terrorism.”

 

Hegseth also expressed his condolences for the loss of lives in the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, which India has linked to Pakistan.

 

 

On late Wednesday evening, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In his calls, he urged the two neighbours to de-escalate their tensions over the Pahalgam terror attack.

 

Jaishankar posted on ‘X’ on Thursday he discussed with Rubio the Pahalgam attack, and told him the “perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice”. 

 

US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio encouraged Pakistan to work with India to de-escalate “tensions, re-establish direct communications, and maintain peace and security in South Asia”. “The Secretary spoke of the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam,” she said.

 

“The secretary urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack,” Bruce added.

 

India and Pakistan continued to exchange small-arms fire across the Line of Control. According to a PTI report, the Attari-Wagah border crossing-point between India and Pakistan was shut completely on Thursday following a week-long heavy rush of people from either side to cross over after the Centre ordered all Pakistani citizens with short-term visa to leave India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said.

 

At an event in New Delhi on Thursday evening, Union Home Minister Amit Shah vowed to hunt down each and every terrorist involved in the Pahalgam attack and said all of them would be made answerable for the heinous act.

 

In Islamabad, Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir on Thursday warned that any “military misadventure” by India would be met with a “swift, resolute, and notch-up response” as he visited a firing range to witness a high-intensity field training exercise conducted by the armed forces.

 

Citing security concerns, Pakistan has announced the closure of specific portions of Karachi and Lahore airspace for four hours each day during May and put all airports across the country on high alert, a media report said Thursday.

 

In another development, the US has cleared a proposal to supply critical military hardware and logistic support assets worth $131 million to India, in line with the strategic ties between the two countries. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) that operates under the Pentagon has delivered the required certification for the military supplies and notified the US Congress of the possible sale, according to an American readout.