NEW DELHI, May 15: India vowed on Wednesday to take action in response to a bloody attack blamed on Pakistani-based guerillas in Kashmir, which has stoked tensions with Islamabad and threatens to derail a US diplomatic push.

“We will have to retaliate,” Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told parliament, describing Tuesday’s attack that killed more than 30 soldiers and members of their families as “a massacre of innocents”.

Vajpayee did not say what form the action could take or who it would be directed against, and the Hindi word he used has a wide range of dictionary meanings, including revenge and counter-action.

Pakistan has condemned the attack and called for an investigation.

US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca, in New Delhi on her third round of shuttle diplomacy since March, said the raid by the militants was aimed at sabotaging efforts to ease tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

“We certainly think that the level of tension needs to be eased somehow and acts like this are clearly aimed at achieving the opposite objective...,” she said before flying to Islamabad.

“Acts like this are intended to undermine peace in the region and stability in the region as a whole,” she remarked.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters, Indian foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said that India would no longer tolerate cross-border attacks and informed the US envoy that Pakistan must convert its pledge to fight religious extremism into action.

“We will not have further pain inflicted on us,” she said.

“The message conveyed was frank and unequivocal and the American side understood our stand on terrorism,” Ms Rao said.—Reuters/AFP