Washington: The foreign ministers of the Quad grouping – the United States, India, Japan and Australia – on Wednesday strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. In a joint statement, they urged that those responsible for the attack be brought to justice without delay.
Quad statement on Pahalgam attack
“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others,” the statement said.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured. We call for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” it added.
On April 22, terrorists opened fire at the popular tourist spot Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam town, killing 26 people, most of them tourists. Investigations revealed that the attackers had links to Pakistan.
India’s Operation Sindoor
In response to the attack, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7. Under this operation, the Indian armed forces successfully targeted multiple terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
On the sidelines of the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two leaders discussed the India-US bilateral partnership, covering areas such as trade, security, critical technologies, connectivity, energy and mobility. They also shared views on regional and global issues.
