Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seemed to be building a case for military action against its neighboring archrival, the New York Times reported.

The NYT quoted some Indian officials, stating that “Modi has spoken on the phone with more than a dozen world leaders and diplomats from 100 missions in India’s capital have filed into the foreign ministry for briefings.”

Modi, in a speech on Thursday, vowed to impose harsh penalties and destroy terror safe havens, according to a NYT report.

“In an indication of how volatile the situation remains, the security forces of the two sides have exchanged intermittent small-arms fire across the border,” the report said.

The report highlighted a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in India, particularly affecting Kashmiri students studying in other Indian cities, many of whom are experiencing significant harassment and feeling pressured to return home.

Also, in the report, it was mentioned that in Kashmir, Indian forces have initiated a widespread crackdown, detaining hundreds as they search for those responsible for recent attacks.

In briefings to diplomats at the foreign ministry, Indian officials stated that Pakistan has a history of supporting terrorist groups targeting India, NYT reported.

“They mentioned that the investigation is ongoing and referenced technical intelligence linking the attackers from last week to Pakistan, including facial recognition data.”

Analysts and diplomats noted that the current lack of strong evidence suggests two possibilities, as stated in the report:

• India may require more time to collect information about the terrorist attack before taking action against Pakistan.
• Alternatively, amid global chaos, India might feel it has little obligation to justify its planned actions to anyone.

According to the report, Trump administration officials have expressed strong support for India’s fight against terrorism.

The report stated that President Trump stated that he maintains friendly relations with both India and Pakistan, while acknowledging their longstanding tensions.

However, the NYT stated that it remained uncertain how involved Washington will be in the current conflict. Three months into his presidency, Mr. Trump has yet to appoint an ambassador to India, indicating the low priority of South Asia on his agenda.

The report added that even if the United States or other powers attempted to intervene in the conflict, their influence might be limited.

India and Pakistan have engaged in multiple wars over Kashmir, a region both countries claim entirely, and New Delhi considers the dispute strictly a bilateral matter with Pakistan.

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