Washington: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday responded to reports of Indian missile strikes inside Pakistani territory, saying that the development was expected and urging a swift end to hostilities.
“We just heard about it as we were walking through the doors of the Oval. Just heard about it. 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 think about it. I hope it ends very quickly,” Trump said.
The US State Department also acknowledged the situation but refrained from offering an immediate assessment. In a statement to ANI, a State Department spokesperson said, “We are aware of the reports, however we have no assessment to offer at this time. This remains an evolving situation, and we are closely monitoring developments.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for “maximum military restraint” from India and Pakistan, saying the world cannot afford a military confrontation between the two countries.
“The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border. He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the secretary-general’s spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said.
His remarks came hours after the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military confirmed that Indian missile strikes had hit Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and the Ahmed East area of Bahawalpur. Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, stated: “Some time ago from now, the cowardly enemy India launched air strikes on Subhanullah mosque in Bahwalpur’s Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air.”
Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan Air Force jets had scrambled in response and that the strikes were launched from within Indian airspace. “All of our air force jets are airborne.”
India’s Ministry of Defence earlier confirmed the launch of “Operation Sindoor,” targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan, “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted,” the ministry said, adding that the strikes were in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.
