External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Thursday that he discussed the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing that those responsible must be held accountable.

In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, “Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with US @SecRubio yesterday. Its perpetrators, backers, and planners must be brought to justice.”

The statement follows Rubio’s phone conversations with both Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the brutal killing of 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran meadows, near Pahalgam.

Secretary Rubio urged both nations to de-escalate and maintain regional peace. He reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to fighting terrorism alongside India and called on Pakistan to cooperate in investigating the attack, which was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio expressed sorrow for the victims of the “horrific” attack and stressed the need to hold the perpetrators accountable. “He encouraged both countries to re-establish direct communications and cooperate to maintain peace in South Asia,” she added.

Meanwhile, cross-border tensions remain high as the Pakistan Army continued unprovoked firing for the seventh consecutive day on Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army responded proportionately, according to Defence Ministry officials.

Pakistan Rangers also targeted Indian posts on the International Border in Jammu’s Pargwal sector on Wednesday, further escalating the situation.