US praises India for its significant counter-terrorism actions

The US has praised India for its significant counter-terrorism actions and said Pakistan-based terror groups continued their terror attacks in the country.

In its annual 'Country Report on Terrorism', as mandated by the Congress, the State Department on Wednesday said the Indian leadership has expressed resolve to prevent terrorist attacks domestically and to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorism, in cooperation with the US and other like-minded countries.

The parts of India seriously impacted by terrorism in 2017 included Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast Indian states, and parts of central India in which Maoists remain active, it said.

"India continued to experience attacks, including by Pakistan-based terrorist organisations as well as tribal and Maoist insurgents. Indian authorities blamed Pakistan for cross-border attacks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," the report said.

India, the report said, continued to apply sustained pressure to detect, disrupt and degrade terror operations within its borders.

Over the course of 2017, India sought to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation and information sharing with the US, including through the first-ever Designations Dialogue held in Delhi in December, it said.

In the same year, India and the US pledged to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and D-Company, it said.

During a June 2017 summit, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed officials to establish a new mechanism for cooperation on terrorist designations.

The report further said the Indian government closely monitored the domestic threat from transnational terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaida.

The State Department praised India for its significant counter terrorism actions.

Citing an example of a significant counter-terrorism law enforcement action by India, it said the police arrested Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) leader Mohammad Idris from a hideout in Kolkata on March 8.

Idris was allegedly involved in the July 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Bangladesh capital, Dhaka.