India only responding to original escalation by Pak: Foreign secy

Pakistan alone can decide whether there is a further escalation of tensions with India as New Delhi has only responded to the "original escalation" of the Pahalgam terror attack and will respond to further actions by Islamabad, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday.

- Rezaul H Laskar

NEW DELHI:

Addressing a briefing on Operation Sindoor hours after India acknowledged that its armed forces targeted air defence systems at several locations in Pakistan in response to Pakistani strikes on military targets at 15 sites in India, Misri said most countries have recognised the "barbaric nature" of Pahalgam attack and the restrained, measured and non-escalatory nature of India's response. His comments came hours before a Pakistani attack on Jammu was thwarted, with Indian air defence systems bringing down several projectiles.