New Delhi: India and the US have sought additional designations and punitive measures such as an asset freeze and arms embargo by the UN against proxies of Pakistan-based terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and affiliates of Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
India and US discussed ways to boost cooperation to combat terror at a meeting of the bilateral joint working group on counter-terrorism and a terrorist designations dialogue in New Delhi on December 3. (Representational image)
The two sides made this call while discussing ways to boost cooperation to combat terror at a meeting of the bilateral joint working group on counter-terrorism and a terrorist designations dialogue in New Delhi on December 3.
The additional designations of proxies, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers of LeT and JeM and affiliates of Islamic State and al-Qaeda under the UN Security Council’s 1267 sanctions regime will ensure their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo, a joint statement said.
Underscoring the convergence between India and the US on counter-terrorism, the Indian side thanked the US department of state for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, as a foreign terrorist organisation and a specially designated global terrorist.
The TRF had taken responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack in April.
The two sides also strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the terror incident near the Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, and stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable. They emphasised that confronting terrorism requires concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner.
“Both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They expressed concern over the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and AI for terrorist purposes,” the statement said.
They also reiterated their commitment to strengthen multilateral cooperation in countering terrorism, including at the UN, Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The two meetings, which reflected the “spirit and breadth” of the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership, allowed both sides to review a range of traditional and emerging threats and challenges, such as terrorist recruitment, abuse of technology for terrorist purposes, and financing of terrorism.
“Both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation against challenges, including through training, cybersecurity, exchange of best practices, and information-sharing through continued bilateral and multilateral efforts,” the statement said.
India and the US also discussed strengthening law enforcement and judicial cooperation, including through cooperation on mutual legal assistance requests.
Vinod Bahade, joint secretary (counter-terrorism) in the external affairs ministry, and Monica Jacobsen, senior bureau official in the bureau of counter-terrorism in the US state department, led their delegations at the meetings.
The India-US meetings were followed by a meeting of the Quad counter terrorism working group in New Delhi during December 4-5 that brought together officials of India, Australia, Japan and the US. The group called for bringing to justice the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of last month’s terror incident near the Red Fort and urged all UN member states to cooperate on this matter.
The Quad group unequivocally condemned all forms of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, a joint statement said.
Twelve people were killed and several others injured in the terror incident in New Delhi on November 10.
Ways to expand cooperation in combating terrorism under the framework of the Quad was the central focus of this meeting. The Quad partners exchanged assessments on the terrorism threat landscape, including developments in the Indo-Pacific.
“They discussed the full spectrum of counter-terrorism cooperation and measures that could be used to address existing and emerging challenges,” the statement said.
The Quad underscored the importance of ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains open and free from the threats of terrorism. The Quad partners also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in multilateral forums.
“They also emphasised the value of continued information sharing on terrorists, terrorist organisations, and their proxies,” the statement said.
A tabletop exercise on “counter terrorism operations in the urban environment” conducted during the meeting provided an opportunity for experts to share best practices and identify potential opportunities for joint operational preparedness to respond to complex terrorist scenarios.