Washington: Several top American lawmakers have strongly condemned the Uri terror attack in Kashmir, saying there is a need to work together to combat terrorism and hoped the perpetrators behind the deadly assault are brought to justice.
"Strongly condemn recent terrorist attack at Indian Army base in Uri - deepest condolences to the victims, their families & people of India," Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted.
Eighteen soldiers were killed and several others injured as heavily-armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the Indian Army in North Kashmir's Uri town early Sunday. Four militants involved in the terror strike were killed by the Army.
Congressman Elliot Engel, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the Uri terror attack along with the bombings in New York and New Jersey "demonstrate our need to continue to work together through our" counter- terrorism partnership to defeat terrorism.
Congresswoman Grace Meng, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittee on Asia, also condemned the attack and hoped that those behind the deadly assault on Indian troops are apprehended and brought to justice.
"I send my thoughts and prayers to the victims and families, and all who have been impacted by this unacceptable and heinous violence," she said.
In an op-ed, Lisa Curtis of The Heritage Foundation said that the US should also condition military assistance to Pakistan on its success in cracking down on terror groups and called on Indian and Pakistani officials to tone down their rhetoric against each other and refrain from making references to developments in territory under the other's control.
"The latter is especially important during the current UN General Assembly," Curtis said, adding that the US has an interest in preventing military escalation between the "two nuclear-armed foes".
