"Further Military Activity Will Worsen The Situation": US On India-Pak

[Anta Assamey]

 

WASHINGTON: 

The US has asked Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven after India on Wednesday handed over a dossier to Pakistan on specific details of involvement of the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF.

"Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's CRPF on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," a State Department spokesperson said.

The Ministry of External Affairs handed over the dossier to Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner on Wednesday. The Pak official was conveyed that New Delhi expects Islamabad to "take immediate and verifiable action" against terrorism emanating from territories under its control.

This is the second statement issued by the Donald Trump administration amid heightened tension between the two countries. Washington had asked Islamabad to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups a day after India's fighter jets crossed the Line of Control and destroyed a major terror training camp.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has appealed to Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi to hold "direct communication and avoid further military activity".

Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control before dawn on Tuesday and carried out "non-military, pre-emptive air strikes" within Pakistan to target a training camp of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, in the biggest escalation between the two countries in decades.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has defended the air strikes across the Line of Control, saying that the objective was to act against terrorist infrastructure of JeM to preempt another terror attack in India. "India doesn't wish to see further escalation of situation. It'll continue to act with responsibility and restraint," Ms Swaraj said.

The air strikes killed a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders of Jaish, said the government. Sources said over 300 terrorists including Jaish chief Masood Azhar's brother-in-law were killed, but there is no official figure.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed had killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers in Pulwama on February 14, in the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir.