Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the escalating military confrontation between India and Pakistan and urged both countries to exercise restraint in order to prevent further deterioration in the region.
“We are deeply concerned about the aggravation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam,” Zakharova wrote on X.
Russia strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and emphasizes the need for international cooperation to combat this threat. “Russia firmly condemns all acts of terrorism, stands against any manifestations of terrorism, and highlights the importance of consolidating the efforts of the international community to effectively combat this menace,” she added.
Russia further urged India and Pakistan to show restraint to prevent further deterioration in the region.
Russia hopes that the differences between India and Pakistan will be resolved peacefully through diplomatic means.
“We hope that differences between New Delhi and Islamabad will be resolved peacefully through political and diplomatic means, based on bilateral efforts and in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement (1972) and the Lahore Declaration (1999),” she said.
Additionally, the French Embassy in India condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and expressed its full solidarity with India.
“France supports India in its fight against terrorist groups,” the embassy wrote on X.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Armed Forces launched a strike on terror hideouts deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir under ‘Operation Sindoor’ on early Wednesday morning.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh informed that a total of nine terror sites were targeted and successfully destroyed. She asserted that the locations were selected to avoid damage to civilians and their infrastructure.
“Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families. Nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed… The locations were selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and the loss of any civilian lives,” Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said.
Meanwhile, during the press briefing, Col. Sofiya Qureshi presented videos of the destruction of terror camps, including those from Muridke, where David Headley and Ajmal Kasab, perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, received training.
Other than Muridke, targets included the Sarjal camp in Sialkot, Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala and Markaz Abbas, Kotli, and Mehmoona Joya camp in Sialkot, Col. Qureshi informed.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that the attack on Pahalgam was aimed at undermining the return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The attack in Pahalgam was marked by extreme barbarity, with the victims mostly killed with headshots at close range in front of their families. The family members were deliberately traumatized through the manner of killing, accompanied by the exhortation that they should take back the message. The attack was clearly driven by the objective of undermining normalcy returning to Kashmir,” he said.
(ANI)
