Terrorism a big challenge for world, says IB chief

India's Intelligence Bureau Director Dineshwar Sharma on Thursday said terrorism has emerged as a big challenge for the entire world and sought close cooperation and sharing of real-time intelligence to tackle the menace.

Sharma said no country today is in a position to tackle this problem on its own.

"Close cooperation and sharing of real-time intelligence are, therefore, imperative for all of us to secure our countries and our people," an official release quoted him as saying.

The Uri terror attack was only one in a series of such dastardly acts in the last few decades, for which planning, financing, training, arming and indoctrination on religious lines owe their origins to sources beyond the borders of India, Sharma said while addressing a high-level meeting of eminent experts on strengthening Saarc's anti-terror mechanism here.

The IB chief asked the eight member-states of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) to ratify and enable its various conventions, including the Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and Additional Protocols and the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.

He said terrorist organisations use easily accessible technology to attack both soft and hard targets.

"Self-radicalisation over the Internet and social media, and spread of influence of Islamic State, including in our country, has added a new dimensions to the threat," he added.

He identified countering the financing of terrorism as one of the most important aspects of fighting terror.

"Cyberspace has become an important area for radicalisation and spread of jihadi ideas. Besides, the problem of fake currency feeds into supporting terrorism and can create economic destabilisation in our region," Sharma added.

--IANS

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