Pulwama attack: United States vows to hold Pakistan to account

Pic courtesy/ Twitter/ ANI

New Delhi: In the wake of Pulwama attack, an outraged US has conveyed its support to India's right to self-defence against cross-border terrorismÂu00c2u009d and resolved to hold Pakistan to account while working to remove all obstacles to designating Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. US National Security Advisor John Bolton, in a telephonic call to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval last night, "offered all assistance to India to bring the perpetrators and backers of the attack promptly to justice,"Âu00c2u009d according to an MEA statement.

"The two NSA vowed to work together to ensure that Pakistan ceases to be a safe haven for JeM and terrorist groups that target India, the US and others in the region,"Âu00c2u009d it added. Bolton called Doval to express condolences and outrageÂu00c2u009d over the Pulwama terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM). A CRPF convoy, while moving from Jammu to Srinagar, was attacked by a suicide bomber in Lethpora area of Pulwama district of Kashmir on the national highway at around 3.15 pm on Thursday, killing around 40 security personnel. "Ambassador Bolton supported India's right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism. He offered all assistance to India to bring the perpetrators and backers of the attack promptly to justice,"Âu00c2u009d the statement said, adding Doval appreciated the US support.

The US support to India's right to self-defence comes at a time when New Delhi is looking at options to "punish" those behind the gruesome attack. India has already carried out, once, a surgical strike at terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in September 2016 after a major terror attack at an army camp in Uri in Kashmir. "They (NSAs) resolved to hold Pakistan to account for its obligations under UN resolutions and to remove all obstacles to designating JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 Committee process," the statement said. A proposal to list Azhar is pending before the UN Security Council but it is being blocked by China. India has been urging the international community to put pressure on China to lift its blockade.

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