USA refuses to confirm India's 'surgical strike' claim

WASHINGTON: Deputy Spokesperson of the United States Department of State, Mike Toner, said on Saturday that it was not for the USA to confirm whether Indian claims of conducting surgical strikes in Pakistan were true or not. 

Toner refused to comment on claims by India that it had conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan on Wednesday to target alleged militants in Pakistan. Pakistan had strongly rejected Indian claims and stated that it was unprovoked Indian shelling across the border which had martyred two soldiers of Pakistan Army.

Mark Toner said USA was closely monitoring the situation at the Line of Control closely and desired peaceful relations between Pakistan and India.

"We believe that talks between the two countries would lessen tensions," he said. "USA wants India and Pakistan to have peaceful relations with each other," he added.

Mark Toner said that USA was in contact with the high-level leadership of both countries. He also disclosed that the armies of India and Pakistan were in contact with each other. He also expressed concern at cross-border attacks such as the Uri attack and other related incidents.

"We have always stressed on conducting action against Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad," he said.

Toner refused to comment on Indian claims of conducting surgical strikes inside Pakistan and said it was not for the USA to confirm India's claims.

India and Pakistan were on the verge of a tense confrontation on Wednesday when unprovoked Indian shelling from across the border martyred two Pakistani soldiers. India has so far not provided any evidence of conducting surgical strikes on Pakistani soil. ISPR vehemently denied the Indian surgical strikes claim and stated that Pakistani troops had given a befitting response to India's aggression.