WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – The Quad grouping of the United States, India, Japan and Australia called on Tuesday for the perpetrators of a militant attack that killed 26 in India-occupied Kashmir (IOK) to be brought to justice without delay.
The April 22 attack in held Kashmir’s Pahalgam sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India in the latest escalation of a decades-old animosity as India blamed it on Pakistan, which strongly denied the allegations while calling for a neutral investigation.
The US State Department issued a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the grouping, who met in Washington, but stopped short of naming Pakistan or blaming Islamabad.
“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism,” the ministers said in the statement.
They called on all members of the United Nations to cooperate actively with “all relevant authorities” in delivering justice to the “perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act”, without any delay.
India is an increasingly important US partner in Washington’s effort to counter China’s rising influence in Asia.
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On May 7, Pakistan shot down six Indian jets after they bombed sites across the border that New Delhi alleged were “terrorist infrastructure”, setting off an exchange of attacks between the two countries by fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery that killed dozens until a ceasefire on May 10.
The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump’s claims that it resulted from his intervention and threats to sever trade talks.
On the other hand, Pakistan acknowledged President Trump's efforts and recommended him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in de-escalating tensions between arch-rivals last month which could have turned more dangerous.