World Leaders Urge Restraint After India Strikes Terror Camps in Pakistan
| 2025-05-07
Widespread damage has been reported at terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after Indian Armed Forces conducted targeted strikes.
India's Operation Sindoor draws global reactions as leaders from the US, UN, and UAE call for calm while Israel backs India's right to self-defence.
India launches Operation Sindoor
India’s Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday that its armed forces carried out targeted strikes against what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The military action, termed Operation Sindoor, follows a deadly attack in Pahalgam two weeks earlier that killed 26 people.
In its official statement, the Defence Ministry said the strikes were conducted against “facilities from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.” No immediate details were released about casualties or damage.
The move marks a significant escalation in hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with Pakistani forces reportedly responding with shelling across the border.
United States calls for dialogue
US President Donald Trump expressed concern over the military escalation, telling reporters at the White House: “It’s a shame... I just hope it ends very quickly.”
Shortly after the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held calls with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart. According to a statement from the US State Department, Rubio “urged both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation.”
The US has maintained a position encouraging de-escalation in previous Indo-Pakistani crises, often working behind the scenes to facilitate dialogue.
UN and UAE stress military restraint
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for calm, with a spokesperson stating he was “very concerned” by the developments. The UN urged both India and Pakistan to show “maximum military restraint,” stressing the risk of a broader conflict.
The United Arab Emirates also called for restraint, with its Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issuing a statement encouraging both countries to “de-escalate tensions and avoid further escalation.”
Israel backs India’s self-defence claim
In contrast to calls for caution, Israel expressed unequivocal support for India’s actions. Reuven Azar, Israel’s Ambassador to India, stated: “Israel supports India’s right for self-defence. Terrorists should know there’s no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent.”
Azar’s remarks, shared on social media platform X, reflect longstanding defence and intelligence ties between India and Israel, which have deepened over the past decade.
Tensions rooted in decades-long dispute
The latest escalation follows a familiar pattern in the long-standing and often volatile relationship between India and Pakistan, particularly regarding Kashmir—a region both nations claim in full but administer in parts.
Cross-border attacks and retaliatory military actions have occurred periodically, with the most serious confrontation in recent years taking place in 2019 following a suicide bombing in Pulwama that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India’s subsequent airstrike on Balakot in Pakistan led to a brief aerial engagement between the two countries.
The recent Pahalgam attack, which India blames on Pakistan-based militants, reignited public and political pressure in New Delhi for a forceful response. Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack.
International response aims to contain crisis
As Operation Sindoor unfolds, the international community has moved quickly to respond, reflecting concerns about the possibility of conflict between two nations with large conventional armies and nuclear arsenals.
Diplomatic observers note that while calls for de-escalation are consistent with past international reactions, the level of support expressed by some countries, particularly Israel, underscores shifting geopolitical alignments in the region.
Whether the current crisis escalates or is contained through backchannel diplomacy remains uncertain. However, early international engagement suggests a coordinated effort to prevent a repeat of past confrontations.
Context: India-Pakistan military tensions
India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars since independence in 1947, two of which were over Kashmir. Both countries maintain significant military presence along the Line of Control—the de facto border in Jammu and Kashmir.
The situation remains fragile, with periodic exchanges of fire and accusations of cross-border terrorism. While diplomatic efforts have been made over the years, they are often derailed by violent incidents and political instability.
The strikes under Operation Sindoor mark the latest chapter in a conflict that continues to shape South Asia’s security landscape and draw close attention from global powers.
India’s Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday that its armed forces carried out targeted strikes against what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The military action, termed Operation Sindoor, follows a deadly attack in Pahalgam two weeks earlier that killed 26 people.
In its official statement, the Defence Ministry said the strikes were conducted against “facilities from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.” No immediate details were released about casualties or damage.
The move marks a significant escalation in hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with Pakistani forces reportedly responding with shelling across the border.
United States calls for dialogue
US President Donald Trump expressed concern over the military escalation, telling reporters at the White House: “It’s a shame... I just hope it ends very quickly.”
Shortly after the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held calls with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart. According to a statement from the US State Department, Rubio “urged both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation.”
The US has maintained a position encouraging de-escalation in previous Indo-Pakistani crises, often working behind the scenes to facilitate dialogue.
UN and UAE stress military restraint
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for calm, with a spokesperson stating he was “very concerned” by the developments. The UN urged both India and Pakistan to show “maximum military restraint,” stressing the risk of a broader conflict.
The United Arab Emirates also called for restraint, with its Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issuing a statement encouraging both countries to “de-escalate tensions and avoid further escalation.”
Israel backs India’s self-defence claim
In contrast to calls for caution, Israel expressed unequivocal support for India’s actions. Reuven Azar, Israel’s Ambassador to India, stated: “Israel supports India’s right for self-defence. Terrorists should know there’s no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent.”
Azar’s remarks, shared on social media platform X, reflect longstanding defence and intelligence ties between India and Israel, which have deepened over the past decade.
Tensions rooted in decades-long dispute
The latest escalation follows a familiar pattern in the long-standing and often volatile relationship between India and Pakistan, particularly regarding Kashmir—a region both nations claim in full but administer in parts.
Cross-border attacks and retaliatory military actions have occurred periodically, with the most serious confrontation in recent years taking place in 2019 following a suicide bombing in Pulwama that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. India’s subsequent airstrike on Balakot in Pakistan led to a brief aerial engagement between the two countries.
The recent Pahalgam attack, which India blames on Pakistan-based militants, reignited public and political pressure in New Delhi for a forceful response. Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack.
International response aims to contain crisis
As Operation Sindoor unfolds, the international community has moved quickly to respond, reflecting concerns about the possibility of conflict between two nations with large conventional armies and nuclear arsenals.
Diplomatic observers note that while calls for de-escalation are consistent with past international reactions, the level of support expressed by some countries, particularly Israel, underscores shifting geopolitical alignments in the region.
Whether the current crisis escalates or is contained through backchannel diplomacy remains uncertain. However, early international engagement suggests a coordinated effort to prevent a repeat of past confrontations.
Context: India-Pakistan military tensions
India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars since independence in 1947, two of which were over Kashmir. Both countries maintain significant military presence along the Line of Control—the de facto border in Jammu and Kashmir.
The situation remains fragile, with periodic exchanges of fire and accusations of cross-border terrorism. While diplomatic efforts have been made over the years, they are often derailed by violent incidents and political instability.
The strikes under Operation Sindoor mark the latest chapter in a conflict that continues to shape South Asia’s security landscape and draw close attention from global powers.
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