Argentina backs India, praises PM Modi's strong stance on punishing terrorists behind Pahalgam terror attack

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) Extending support to India and its people, Mariano Caucino, the Ambassador of Argentina to India, on Friday condemned the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack while fully backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance on identifying and punishing the terrorists and their backers.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, the Ambassador said that Prime Minister Modi is providing Indian people the support and strong leadership they fully deserve.

"I think he (PM Modi) made a very strong statement on the same day and the following day, expressing that India will go after the terrorists to the ends of the earth. I believe that is the right approach," said Ambassador Caucino.

Condemning all forms of terrorism and the use of violence, Caucino stated that Argentina is a country that suffered from terrorism and therefore understands its impact.

Asserting that India has the right to protect itself, he further said that Argentina rejects terrorism and supports people and the government of India. The Ambassador said that being members of the G20, both India and Argentina are working together in combating terrorism

"India has the right to protect its territory, its people and to reject terrorism. We support global policies aimed at rejecting, preventing and combating terrorism and that’s exactly what we are doing. We know what such tragedies mean. We firmly reject terrorism, and we are supporting India in the strongest way possible," he added.

The Argentinian Ambassador also met External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Friday to convey his country's full support for New Delhi.

"Met Ambassador Mariano Caucino of Argentina today. Welcome Argentina’s strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. Spoke about advancing our bilateral and multilateral cooperation," EAM Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting.

The brutal assault, which has resulted in the death of 26 innocent civilians and left several others injured, unfolded on Tuesday in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, when four heavily armed terrorists, two of them from Pakistan, emerged from the surrounding dense forests and opened indiscriminate fire on tourists. The attack has been described as one of the most horrific in the region in recent memory.

According to Intelligence sources, Pakistan-based terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, is behind the attack.

The attack has triggered a string of strong retaliatory diplomatic and strategic actions by India, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, and cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals.

--IANS

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