External affairs minister S. Jaishankar has told US secretary of state Marco Rubio that perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam last week should be brought to justice, and defence minister Rajnath Singh said his American counterpart, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, has said that Washington stands in solidarity with India and supports India’s right to defend itself. .
The US said Rubio discussed the strained ties between the two neighbours in separate telephone calls on Wednesday, urging them to work with each other to "de-escalate tensions," according to a Reuters report.
He expressed support to India in combating extremism and urged Pakistan to cooperate in probing the attack that killed 26 people, the State Department said.
“Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with US @SecRubio yesterday. Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice,” Jaishankar wrote in a post on X on Thursday morning.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the US to press India to "dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly," according to a statement from his office.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the phone.
“The U.S. Secretary of Defence @PeteHegseth spoke to Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh earlier today and expressed his deepest sympathies for the tragic loss of innocent civilians in the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir,” said a post from his office that Singh’s X handle reposted on Thursday afternoon.
“Secretary Hegseth said that the U.S. stands in solidarity with India and supports India’s right to defend itself. He reiterated the strong support of the U.S. government in India's fight against terrorism. During the conversation, RM told the @SecDef that Pakistan has a history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations. He further said that it is important for the global community to explicitly and unequivocally condemn and call out such heinous acts of terrorism,” the statement added.
Terrorists attacked a meadow teeming with tourists in Kashmir's Pahalgam area last week, segregated men, asked their names and shot Hindus at close range, officials and survivors said. At least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
India has identified the three attackers, including two Pakistani nationals. Islamabad has denied any role and called for a neutral investigation.
The government of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir has closed all religious seminaries in the region for 10 days, officials said, citing fears they would be targeted by Indian strikes,according to a Reuters report.
At a check-post in PoK, a Reuters correspondent saw several tourist vehicles being turned back on the road to the Neelum valley, a picturesque tourist spot along the LoC.
"Given some indications, we have not only stopped fresh travellers but we are also safely evacuating those who are already here," Nadeem Ahmed Janjua, a local official, told Reuters.