Operation Sindoor | India briefs key global powers on reasons for airstrikes in Pakistan

New Delhi: India on Wednesday reached out to key global powers, including members of the UN Security Council, and apprised them about the reasons behind its military strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, people familiar with the matter said.

New Delhi also conveyed to the countries that it will retaliate if Islamabad escalates the already tense situation, they said.

Hours after the military strikes carried out under Operation Sindoor, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his counterparts from Germany, Japan, France and Spain and briefed them about the action against the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval dialled his counterparts from the US, China, the UK, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Doval told his counterparts from these countries that India has no intent to escalate tensions but it is prepared to "retaliate resolutely" if Pakistan does so, the people said.

NSA Doval held separate phone conversation with US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, British NSA Jonathan Powell, Saudi NSA Musaed Al-Aiban, United Arab Emirates NSA Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Japan's NSA Masataka Okano and Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president.

It is learnt that Doval provided some details about the Operation Sindoor, the people said.

"The NSA briefed his counterparts on actions taken and the method of execution, which were measured, non-escalatory and restrained. He emphasised India had no intent to escalate but is well prepared to retaliate resolutely should Pakistan decide to escalate," one of the people said.

In his conversations with France's Jean-Noel Barrot, Germany's Johann Wadephul, Japan's Takeshi Iwaya, Spain's Jose Manuel Albares and Qatar's Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Jaishankar discussed India's action against the cross-border terrorist infrastructure.

"Appreciated their solidarity and support in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Discussed ensuring zero tolerance for terrorism," Jaishankar said in a social media post after his joint call with Barrot and Wadephul.

The Japanese foreign ministry said Tokyo is "deeply concerned" that the recent series of events could lead to further "reprisals and escalate into a full-scale military conflict." "Japan strongly urges both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and stabilise the situation through dialogue for the peace and stability in South Asia," it said.

"Japan will continue to monitor the situation closely while taking all possible measures to protect Japanese nationals abroad," it said.

Separately, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed the ambassadors of 13 permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The envoys included Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong and Russian ambassador Denis Alipov.

It is learnt that Misri apprised the envoys about the reasons behind India's decision to carry out the military strikes on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK.

Misri is believed to have told them that New Delhi's response was targeted, measured and non-escalatory.

Earlier at a media briefing, the foreign secretary said India decided to carry out the "proportionate" strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice as there was "no demonstrable step" from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control.

Misri said India's actions were in line with the UN Security Council's statement about holding perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the Pahalgam terror attack accountable.

Under 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian military targeted Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen's Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot and LeT's base in Markaz Ahle Hadith in Barnala and its camp in Muzaffarabad's Shawai Nalla, military officials said.