As India reels from its deadliest terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir since Pulwama, the United States has voiced strong support, with Hindu-American leader and US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard calling the Pahalgam massacre a “heinous Islamist terrorist attack” and pledging solidarity with the Indian people.
Twenty-six people, most of them Hindu pilgrims and tourists, were killed on Tuesday when terrorists opened fire in the Pahalgam area, triggering national outrage and a renewed global spotlight on targeted violence in Kashmir.
Gabbard, who is considered to be a long-time friend of India and a practising Hindu herself, posted on X: “We stand in solidarity with India in the wake of the horrific Islamist terrorist attack, targeting and killing 26 Hindus in Pahalgam. My prayers and deepest sympathies are with those who lost a loved one, PM @narendramodi, and with all the people of India. We are with you and support you as you hunt down those responsible for this heinous attack.”
The 42-year-old former US Congresswoman from Hawaii, who made history as the first Hindu elected to the US House of Representatives, has often spoken about her spiritual and cultural affinity with India. Over the years, she has championed closer US-India ties, especially on security and counterterrorism.
Her latest statement follows a sharp response from the Trump administration, which has strongly condemned the Pahalgam killings.
A day earlier, former US President Donald Trump spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed his full support to bring the perpetrators to justice. The U.S. State Department emphasised that the United States stands with India and condemns all forms of terrorism.
Additionally, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee criticised the New York Times for referring to the attackers as "militants," insisting that the incident be accurately described as a "terrorist attack."
The attack has also drawn condemnation from other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, all expressing solidarity with India and denouncing the violence.
The Pahalgam attack has drawn comparisons with the 2019 Pulwama bombing and raised alarm over a possible resurgence of cross-border militancy in the Valley. As security operations continue in the region, New Delhi has vowed a “firm and fitting response”.
