India, US seek stronger global curbs on terror outfits, proxies

India and the US have urged stronger curbs on UN-sanctioned terrorist organisations, including tighter global asset freezes and travel bans on their members. They also voiced concern over the growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and artificial intelligence for terrorist activities.

The India-US Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism met in New Delhi, where the two sides reviewed the evolving threat landscape, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.

According to the statement, India and the US called for fresh “designations” under the UN 1267 sanctions regime targeting ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates, as well as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers.

This, it said, would ensure that their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Both sides stressed that combating terrorism demands sustained, coordinated and comprehensive action. With this in mind, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in platforms such as the UN, the Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Highlighting the growing strategic convergence between New Delhi and Washington, the Indian side thanked the US State Department for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a LeT proxy, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

Notably, in a clear hint at Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They strongly criticised the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and the recent assault near the Red Fort on November 10.

“Those responsible for terrorism must be held accountable,” the statement said.

India and the US also reviewed a broad spectrum of traditional and emerging threats, ranging from terrorist recruitment and technology misuse to terror financing. They discussed ways to deepen cooperation through training, cybersecurity, sharing best practices and enhanced information exchange via bilateral and multilateral channels.