ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: The United States has once again denounced the recent terrorist attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), but remained non-committal about any mediatory involvement between India and Pakistan amid rising tensions.
A deadly assault on tourists in the Baisaran Valley of IIOJK’s Pahalgam area on Tuesday has triggered a new diplomatic crisis between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours. The attack left 26 people dead and several others wounded, with the assailants fleeing into the surrounding forests. Indian authorities attributed the attack to militants with “cross-border linkages,” indirectly blaming Pakistan—an allegation Islamabad has categorically rejected as baseless.
During a State Department briefing, spokesperson Tammy Bruce reaffirmed Washington’s stance against terrorism:
“The United States stands with India and strongly condemns all acts of terrorism. We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and call for the perpetrators of this heinous act to be brought to justice.”
However, when asked whether the U.S. was playing any diplomatic role to ease the growing strain between India and Pakistan, Bruce declined to elaborate. Referring to past U.S. mediation offers during President Trump’s tenure, she stated:
“I’m not going to be remarking on it. I will say nothing more on that situation.”
She added that while the situation is being monitored closely, the U.S. currently holds no position on the status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, India and Pakistan have taken a series of retaliatory steps in response to the incident and its fallout. Both nations have closed their shared land border and suspended the special visa regime that allowed limited travel between them. Additionally, each country has declared the other’s military attachés persona non grata and reduced their respective embassy staffs.
India has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a long-standing agreement governing the shared use of the Indus River system. Pakistan warned that any attempt to disrupt water flow would be considered an act of war and met with “full force.”
Further escalating the standoff, Pakistan has frozen all bilateral agreements, halted trade with India—including via third countries—and closed its airspace to Indian-operated flights.
As the region watches closely, international observers continue to urge restraint from both sides in the interest of regional stability.
