Watching situation very closely: top US army general after Operation Sindoor

A top American military commander has said that the US is “watching the situation very closely” after Indian military strikes on terror targets in PoK and Pakistan’s Punjab province. India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday, hitting nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan’s Punjab province in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

“It’s right now too early to opine on any of that. We’re watching the situation very closely. We’re nested with our higher headquarters and USINDOPACOM as the information about these strikes becomes more clear,” US Army Pacific Commanding General, General Ronald Clark said during a digital press briefing Wednesday.

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The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is one of six geographic Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered in Hawaii.

Clark was responding to a question on the US view of the developing situation after the strikes by India. Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he wants India and Pakistan to “stop” the conflict, saying if he can do anything to “help”, he will be there. “Oh it’s so terrible. My position is I get along with both. I know both very well and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop and hopefully they can stop now. They have gone tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now. I know both, we get along with both the countries very well,” he said.

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“Good relationships with both and I want to see it stop. And If I can do anything to help, I will be there,” Trump said in response to a question on the “war” between India and Pakistan.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday that the Indian military carried out a “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible” strike to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan to “deter and to pre-empt” any further terrorist strikes.

Addressing a packed press conference, Misri said it was deemed essential that the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 attack be brought to justice as there was “no demonstrable” step from Islamabad to take action against the terror infrastructure on its territory or on territory under its control.