Washington DC, May 8 -- India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, defended the country's recent cross-border strikes, stating they were a direct response to a deadly terror attack carried out by terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22.

Speaking about Operation Sindoor, Kwatra emphasised that the operation was carefully calibrated to avoid military and economic targets, underscoring that the strikes were aimed solely at dismantling terror networks.

Accusing the country of siding with terrorists, Kwatra said that "Pakistan has again decided to stand with the terrorists... rather than acting against them, they are lending support."

In an interview with CNN, Kwatra said, "When you talk of tensions or when you talk of escalations, I would say ...