Japan calls for restraint as India-Pakistan tensions escalate
The Japanese government issued a statement following India's attack on Pakistan, urging both sides to exercise restraint and prevent the outbreak of a full-scale armed conflict. According to India, this operation was in retaliation for the 22nd April terrorist attack in Kashmir.
"For the peace and stability of South Asia, we strongly urge both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and stabilise the situation through dialogue," said government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi during a press briefing.
"We express strong concern that this situation may lead to further retaliatory exchanges and escalate into a full-scale military conflict," he added.
Reaction to the attack in Kashmir
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Takeshi Iwaya reminded everyone that the Japanese government strongly condemned the terrorist act on 22nd April, when attackers targeted tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, killing 26 people.
Iwaya also assured that Tokyo will take all necessary measures to protect Japanese citizens in the region and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Tragic victim count
Pakistani army spokesperson Gen. Ahmed Chaudhry stated on Wednesday that 26 civilians were killed and 46 were injured due to attacks by the Indian army on "six locations" in Pakistan.
On the Indian side, the army reported 10 killed and 48 injured in retaliatory attacks by Pakistan.
India's Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday that as part of retaliatory actions for the April attack, it shelled "terrorist infrastructure" targets in Pakistan and the Pakistan-administered part of the disputed region of Kashmir. The authorities in Islamabad described the attacks as an "unprovoked and blatant act of war".
