United States Defense Secretary declared Washington's "strong support" for India in a post on X on Thursday, amid rising tensions between that country and Pakistan.

"Today, I spoke with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to personally extend my deepest condolences for the loss of life in the heinous terrorist attack last week," Hegseth wrote, referring to the Pahalgam attack in the disputed Kashmir area which triggered the ongoing crisis between India and Pakistan.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stressing the need to condemn the attack and de-escalate tensions.