Photo : PTINew Delhi: The US Intelligence Community said that India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to any real or perceived Pakistani provocations under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The annual threat assessment of the American intelligence community released by the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said that the “crises between India and Pakistan are of particular concern because of the risk- however low – of an escalatory cycle between two nuclear-armed states.” The ODNI further said that expanded military posture by both India and China along the disputed border “elevates the risk of armed confrontation” between two nuclear powers that might involve direct threats to US persons and interests and calls for US intervention. It said that relations between New Delhi and Beijing will remain strained in view of the deadly clash in eastern Ladakh in 2020, the most serious in decades. “Previous standoffs have demonstrated that persistent low-level friction on the Line of Actual Control has the potential to escalate swiftly,” the report said.The ODNI further said that Pakistan has a long history of supporting anti-India militant groups, adding that the heightened tensions between the two countries raises the threat of conflict. “Pakistan has a long history of supporting anti-India militant groups; under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations, and each side’s perception of heightened tensions raises the risk of conflict, with violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant attack in India being potential flashpoints,” it said.Indian Air Force had launched the pre-emptive air strike on Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 26 February, targeting terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps.