New Delhi:
The U.S. is urging India to ease tensions with Pakistan, stressing the importance of dialogue and collaborative counter-terrorism efforts. This comes after a severe escalation, marked by Pakistan launching missiles targeting Indian cities, prompting significant defensive responses.
During a statement on Thursday evening, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce indicated that immediate de-escalation was critical.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a conversation with Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar, expressing unwavering support for the dialogue between India and Pakistan. He also reiterated the U.S.’s commitment to aid India in combating terrorism and conveyed condolences regarding the recent terrorist attacks in Pahalgam.
This dialogue occurred just hours prior to Pakistan’s missile and drone strikes against various Indian cities, raising military tensions considerably.
Sirens blared throughout Punjab and Rajasthan, as well as Jammu and Kashmir, in response to the air raids, leading to power outages intended to safeguard both civilian and military infrastructures.
Reports indicate that eight missiles were launched specifically targeting Jammu and Kashmir, but Indian air defense units successfully intercepted them.
In Punjab, Pathankot, located only 30 kilometers from the Pakistan border, faced outages along with Chandigarh, which is under 250 kilometers from Delhi.
Visuals shared by local residents depicted a terrifying scene of explosions lighting up the night sky as Indian defenses countered the attacks.
Sources have mentioned that at least one Pakistani fighter jet was shot down during the conflict.
This surge in military aggression follows a previous barrage of missiles aimed at Indian military facilities across 15 cities, including Jalandhar, Srinagar, Amritsar, and Ludhiana. The Indian Air Defense System, particularly the Russian-made S-400, played a crucial role in these defensive efforts.
Additionally, Israeli-made Harpy drones have reportedly targeted Pakistan’s air defense systems, leaving them exposed to further counterattacks.
This military action from Pakistan comes one day after Indian forces executed precision strikes on multiple terrorist camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This operation, dubbed Operation Sindoor, commenced at 1:05 AM on Wednesday morning and lasted approximately 25 minutes, resulting in the destruction of key militant facilities and the reported killing of over 100 terrorists, as stated by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
This operation was in direct response to a terrorist attack that occurred in Pahalgam on April 22, which tragically claimed the lives of 26 individuals, many of whom were civilians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged retribution against those responsible for this heinous act.
