NSA Doval engages US counterparts as India strikes Pakistan under Operation Sindoor

New Delhi: In a significant escalation of tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors, India carried out military strikes on Pakistan late Tuesday, prompting immediate diplomatic outreach to prevent further conflict. 

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval held urgent discussions with his US counterpart Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly after the strikes, signaling a concerted effort to manage the crisis.

The strikes come against the backdrop of heightened friction between India and Pakistan, fueled by a deadly Islamist terrorist attack in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir last month. 

The attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly Hindu tourists, reignited long-standing disputes over the contested Himalayan territory, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting armed groups—a charge Islamabad denies, asserting it only provides moral and diplomatic backing to Kashmiri self-determination. 

Tensions further spiked earlier this week when Pakistan alleged that India had nearly halted the flow of the Chenab River across the border, a move seen as a provocative violation of water-sharing agreements.

India targeted suspected militant positions in Pakistan, consistent with India’s doctrinal shift under NSA Doval toward a more assertive stance against cross-border threats. 

Doval, a former spymaster credited with orchestrating the 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, has been a pivotal figure in shaping India’s security policy. 

His involvement in Tuesday’s operation underscores the gravity of the situation, as does his immediate outreach to US officials.