'Support India's right to self-defence,' US security adviser John Bolton tells Ajit Doval

John Bolton, the US National Security Adviser, called his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Friday to express condolences and outrage over the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) that killed over 40 CRPF jawans. Bolton called Doval and offered the US' full support to India in confronting terrorism.

Bolton supported India's right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism. And also offered all assistance to India to bring the perpetrators and backers of the attack promptly to justice. "I told Ajit Doval today that we support India's right to self-defence. I have spoken to him twice, including this morning... and expressed US' condolences over the terrorist attack," he told PTI.

Bolton said the US has been very clear to Pakistan on ending support to terrorist safe havens. "We have been very clear on that score... And, we are continuing to be in discussions we are going to have with the Pakistanis," he said.

Doval appreciated Bolton’s call for support and resolved to hold Pakistan to account for its obligations under UN resolutions and to remove all obstacles to designating JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 Committee process.

The White House and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier asked Pakistan to end its support to terrorist safe havens inside the country.

"We stand with #India as it confronts terrorism. Pakistan must not provide safe haven for terrorists to threaten international security," Pompeo had tweeted.

In a stern message to Pakistan, the White House asked Islamabad to "immediately end" its "support" to all terror groups and not to provide "safe haven" to them, as the US condemned the brutal Pulwama terror attack claimed the lives of at least 40 CRPF soldiers.

The JeM claimed responsibility for the attack, which is considered to be the deadliest terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two decades. The incident occurred at Lethpora on the Srinagar-Anantnag highway followed by gunshots aimed at the security forces in Pulwama district.