Moscow : Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the aggravation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan and urged both parties to exercise restraint to prevent further deterioration in the region.
"We are deeply concerned about the aggravation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam," Zakharova wrote on X. Russia strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and emphasises the need for international cooperation to combat this threat. "Russia firmly condemns all acts of terrorism, stands against any manifestations of terrorism, and highlights the importance of consolidating the efforts of the international community to effectively combat this menace," she added.
Russia further urged India and Pakistan to show restraint in order to prevent further deterioration in the region.Russia hopes that differences between India and Pakistan will be resolved peacefully through diplomatic means. '
"We hope that differences between New Delhi and Islamabad will be resolved peacefully through political and diplomatic means, based on bilateral efforts and in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement (1972) and the Lahore Declaration (1999)," she said.
Further, the French Embassy in India also condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April and expressed its full solidarity with India. "France supports India in its fight against terrorist groups," the embassy wrote on X.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Armed Forces launched a strike at the terror hideouts deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir under 'Operation Sindoor' on Wednesday morning.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh informed that a total of nine terror sites were targeted and successfully destroyed. She asserted that the locations were selected so that there was no damage to civilians and their infrastructure.
"Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families. Nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed... The locations were so selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructures and loss of any civilian lives," Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said.
Meanwhile, during the press briefing, Col Sofiya Qureshi presented the videos of the destruction of terror camps, including from the Muridke and where David Headley and Ajmal Kasab, perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, received training.
Other than Muridke, Sarjal camp in Sialkot, Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala and Markaz Abbas, Kotli and Mehmoona Joya camp, Sialkot, were targeted in the strikes conducted by the Indian Army, Col Qureshi informed.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the attack on Pahalgam was driven by an objective of undermining the return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The attack in Pahalgam was marked with extreme barbarity, with the victims mostly killed with head shots at close range and in front of their family...the family members were deliberately traumatised through the manner of killing, accompanied by the exhortation that they should take back the message. The attack was clearly driven by the objective of undermining normalcy returning to Kashmir," he said.