US to support India’s move in UNSC to get Masood Azhar listed as global terrorist

India’s bid to ensure a ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar in UN Security Council got a major boost on Tuesday as the US has reportedly extended support to it. According to reports, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval spoke to his American counterpart John Bolton on the security situation in the region after Pulwama attack and New Delhi's air strike against Jaish terror training camp in Balakot.  

Bolton told Doval that the US is working in the United Nations to ensure that Masood Azhar is listed as a global terrorist. Meanwhile, India has also shown proof of Pakistan using F-16s to attack Indian planes and target. 

Reports suggest that India has given proof to the US about the use of F-16 fighters and AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile by Pakistan during its unsuccessful aerial raid targeting four Indian military installations on February 27.

They said India was confident that Washington was carrying out a thorough investigation into use of the US-manufactured fighter as well as the missile onboard it in the offensive operation against India.

As part of the purchasing agreement, the US had put restrictions, the US had reportedly barred Pakistan from using the F-16s against any third country and it was only allowed to operate the fighter in self defence and for anti-terror missions.

The Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed parts of an AMRAAM missile as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir. It said Pakistan does not have any other fighters capable of firing an AMRAAM missile. 

This was the third conversation between the Indian NSA and US NSA. They previously talked on February 15 during which they resolved to hold Pakistan to account for its obligations under the UN resolutions and remove all obstacles to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Bolton had supported India's right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism and offered all assistance to India to bring the perpetrators and backers of the attack promptly to justice.