New Delhi /Washington, May 3: U.S. Vice President JD Vance has urged Pakistan to cooperate with India in pursuing terrorists operating from its territory, following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people, most of them tourists.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Vance expressed condolences over the attack and called on both nuclear-armed neighbours to exercise restraint.
“Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn’t lead to a broader regional conflict,” Vance said. “And we hope, frankly, that Pakistan, to the extent that they’re responsible, cooperates with India to ensure that the terrorists sometimes operating from their territory are hunted down and dealt with.”
The attack, which took place last week in the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam, is the deadliest in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a militant group linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the assault. Among the victims was a Nepali national, and many others were injured.
Vance was on a four-day visit to India with his family when the attack occurred.
The incident has escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, prompting diplomatic outreach from Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke separately with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday.
In his conversation with Rubio, Jaishankar emphasized that those responsible for the attack must be held accountable and brought to justice.
The United States has urged both sides to de-escalate and reaffirmed its commitment to working with India to counter terrorism.
