- Wednesday, May 07, 2025
Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in retaliation against the Pahalgam terror attack
By: India Weekly
SHORTLY after Indian military strikes in Pakistan early Wednesday (7), US president Donald Trump said he knew “something was going to happen”, and hopes the hostilities will end “very quickly”.
“It’s a shame,” he said, adding, “We heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval (Office). I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past.”
“They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve been fighting for many, many decades and centuries, actually, if you really think about it,” Trump said.
When asked if he had any message for the countries, he said, “No, I just hope it ends very quickly.”
Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including Bhawalpur, a stronghold of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.
The defence ministry said the action, code-named ‘Operation Sindoor,’ was in retaliation against the Pahalgam terror attack.
India’s actions came two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
“These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered,” the Defence Ministry said in the statement.
“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” it said.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has urged the National Security Advisors of both countries to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation, his office said on Wednesday (6).
“Earlier this afternoon, @SecRubio spoke to the national security advisors from India and Pakistan. He urged both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation,” the State Department said on a post X.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke with Rubio “shortly after the strikes” and briefed him on the actions taken, the Indian Embassy in Washington said.
The embassy also claimed that India’s actions have been focused, precise and “non-escalatory” in nature.
“No Pakistani civilian, economic, or military targets have been hit. Only known terror camps were targeted,” the embassy statement added.
Rubio also spoke with Pakistani national security advisor Asim Malik.
Rubio said he is monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely and hopes this “ends quickly”.
“I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo @POTUS’s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution,” Rubio said in a post on X.
China on Wednesday (7) expressed regret and concern over Indian strikes on Pakistan, urging both sides to show restraint in response to a major escalation between its nuclear-armed neighbours.
China, which shares land borders with both countries and is a close ally of Pakistan, said it expressed “regret over India’s military action this morning” and said it was “concerned about the current developments”.
“India and Pakistan are neighbors that cannot be moved apart, and they are also China’s neighbors,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
“China opposes all forms of terrorism,” they said.
“We call on both India and Pakistan to prioritize peace and stability, remain calm and restrained and avoid taking actions that further complicate the situation,” the spokesperson added.
At a briefing on Wednesday, Beijing also offered to play a mediating role in reducing tensions.
“We are willing to work together with the international community and continue to play a constructive role in easing the current tensions,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
The UK is ready to support both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions, trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said on Wednesday (7), following the worst violence between the nuclear-armed arch-foes in two decades.
“Our message would be that we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries. Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do,” he told BBC radio. (Agencies)
