India seeks accountability for the attackers in Kashmir, as stated by the foreign minister to Rubio

India’s Foreign Minister has informed Secretary of State Marco Rubio that those responsible for the recent deadly attack in Kashmir must face justice, as the U.S. aims to ease tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

The U.S. reported that Rubio addressed the strained relations between the two countries during separate phone calls on Wednesday, encouraging them to collaborate in order to ‘reduce tensions.’

He expressed support for India’s fight against extremism and urged Pakistan to assist in the investigation of the attack that resulted in 26 fatalities, according to the State Department.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated on X that he conveyed to Rubio that the ‘perpetrators, backers, and planners’ of the April 22 attack ‘must be held accountable.’

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the U.S. to encourage India to ‘reduce the rhetoric and act responsibly,’ as per a statement from his office. Last week, Islamist attackers targeted a tourist-filled meadow in Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, separating men, inquiring about their names, and shooting Hindus at close range, according to officials and survivors.

At least 26 individuals, primarily tourists, lost their lives. India has identified the three attackers, including two Pakistani nationals, as ‘terrorists’ involved in a violent insurgency in Muslim-majority Kashmir. Islamabad has denied any involvement and requested a neutral investigation.

Both India and Pakistan claim full sovereignty over Muslim-majority Kashmir, although each governs only a portion of the region. They have engaged in two wars over Kashmir, with New Delhi accusing Pakistan of supporting and financing an anti-government uprising in Indian Kashmir that began in 1989 but has since diminished.

Pakistan asserts that it only provides diplomatic and moral backing for the Kashmiri quest for self-determination. Following the Pahalgam attack, the long-standing rivals have taken reciprocal actions, with India suspending a crucial river water-sharing treaty and both nations closing their airspace to each other’s airlines.

For the past seven nights, troops from both sides have engaged in small arms fire along their border, although India has reported no casualties thus far. Pakistan has not provided a comment on the situation. The United Nations has urged both nations to refrain from escalating tensions. Earlier this week, China, a significant regional player, called for restraint.

The leader of the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir has requested international mediation and indicated that his administration is preparing a humanitarian response in the event of further escalation. The Indian navy has issued warnings regarding several firing exercises in the Arabian Sea near the coasts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the latter of which shares a border with Pakistan.

The navy has not commented on these warnings. Additionally, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed his military leaders earlier this week that they have the authority to determine the nation’s response to the Pahalgam attack, according to a government source. Pakistan has claimed that military action from India is imminent.