USA asks Pak to take action against terrorist groups

     Written by : SMTV24x7 | Wed, Feb 27, 2019, 11:39 AM

USA asks Pak to take action against terrorist groups

Washington, Feb27: The United States on Wednesday firmly asked Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil and underscored the importance of avoiding escalation at any cost after India targeted terrorist camp in Pakistan.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country.

Following the incident, India on Tuesday bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers, and senior commanders.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone call with the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also called for avoiding military action.

In a separate call with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Pompeo emphasized the close security partnership between the US and India and shared the goal of maintaining peace and security in the region.

Pompeo is currently in Vietnam to attend the second summit between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"Following Indian counter-terrorism actions on February 26, I spoke with Indian Minister of External Affairs Swaraj to emphasize our close security partnership and shared the goal of maintaining peace and security in the region," Pompeo said in a statement.

"I also spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil," Pompeo said.

"I expressed to both Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost. I also encouraged both ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity," said the Secretary of State.

Last week, US National Security Adviser John Bolton told his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval that America supports India's right to self-defense as both sides vowed to work together to ensure that Pakistan ceases to be a safe haven for JeM and other terror groups.