2+2: India, US ask Pak to act against terror groups

New Delhi: India and the US Thursday urged Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terror attacks and expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of cross-border terror strikes, including those on Mumbai, Pathankot and Uri.

The stern warning to Pakistan came after India, and the US held their first 2+2 dialogue here during which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held wide-ranging deliberations with US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis.

"The ministers announced their intent to increase information-sharing efforts on known or suspected terrorists and to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2396 on returning foreign terrorist fighters," a joint statement issued after the talks said.

Addressing a joint press conference, Swaraj said the Indo-US counter-terrorism cooperation had acquired a new "qualitative edge and purpose".

"We welcomed the recent designations of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists by the United States. They underscore the international community's scrutiny over the threat of terrorism emanating from Pakistan, which has affected India and the United States alike.

Sitharaman, in her remarks, said India and the US were committed to working together to combat the "persistent threat of terrorism" and other shared security challenges.

Mattis said he and Pompeo, during the talks, gave insights on a range of issues from the North Korea sanction enforcement to counter-terror cooperation. See P7