The US has responded to reports of alleged targeted killings by India in Pakistan, asserting that it would refrain from interference but instead encourage both nations to pursue dialogue for resolution. India had previously refuted the allegations of targeted killings, denouncing them as “false and malicious anti-India propaganda” in reaction to a report by The Guardian.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, addressed the issue, emphasising their stance of non-interference while urging both parties to prevent escalation. “We have been following the media reports about this issue. We don’t have any comment on the underlying allegations. But of course, while we’re not going to get in the middle of this situation, we encourage both sides to avoid escalation and find a resolution through dialogue,” he stated.
The Guardian report claimed that India’s RAW agency had carried out as many as 20 assassinations since the Pulwama attack in 2019. It referenced evidence supplied by Pakistan and interviews with intelligence officials from both countries, alleging that India had adopted a policy of targeting individuals considered hostile to India.
Furthermore, the report cited Pakistani officers who accused sleeper cells of the Indian intelligence established in the UAE of executing the killings. It also cited an unnamed Indian official purportedly mentioning drawing inspiration from intelligence agencies such as Israel’s Mossad and Russia’s KGB, along with the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
