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Amid a multi-day trip to diplomatic trip to India with his family, Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, have extended their condolences to the victims of those caught in the crossfire of a harrowing terror attack in a popular tourist region that has reportedly claimed the lives of dozens of people.
Vance wrote on Thursday, “Usha and I extend our condolences to the victims of the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India. Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack.”
According to The New York Times, a group of “militants” opened fire in the tourist hotspot of Kashmir, killing at least 24 people.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was swift to condemn the acts of violence, as well.
“Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” he wrote in a statement on X.
These attacks also come just after the vice president announced that America and India had successfully come to an agreement regarding trade negotiations.
“As many of you are aware, both of our governments are hard at work on a trade agreement built on shared priorities, like creating new jobs, building durable supply chains, and achieving prosperity for our workers,” he stated during remarks on Tuesday at the Rajasthan International Center in Jaipur.
“In our meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Modi and I made very good progress on all of those points, and we are especially excited to formally announce that America and India have officially finalized the terms of reference for the trade negotiation,” he continued.
The vice president said that he believed this was a “vital step” toward sealing a “final deal between our nations.”
