Hold perpetrators of cross-border terror to account: NSA Doval at SCO meet in China

Beijing: NSA Ajit Doval on Tuesday called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers of cross border terror to account, widely seen as a demand to act against Pakistan-backed terrorism.

In his address at a conclave of top security officials of the SCO, Doval said India is "deeply concerned" about continued threat from UN-proscribed terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al Qaeda, ISIS and its affiliates.

The NSA said New Delhi launched Operation Sindoor to dismantle terror infrastructure and deter terrorists from carrying out attacks in India following the Pahalgam terror strike.

In response to the attack in Pahalgam in which TRF, a proxy of LeT, killed 26 Indian and Nepalese nationals and injured several others after segregating them on the basis of religion, India launched Operation Sindoor to dismantle terror infrastructure, he said. Doval said India's actions were "measured and non escalatory".

The NSA highlighted the need to "shun double standards" in the fight against terrorism and take decisive actions against UN proscribed terrorists and entities like LeT, JeM and their proxies.

Doval specifically called for dismantling the terror infrastructure of these groups and their terror eco-systems.

The NSA reiterated that any act of terror including cross-border terrorism is a crime against humanity.

Doval called on SCO members to hold accountable the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of acts of cross border terror and to help bring them to justice.

NSA Doval also pitched for for "joint information operation" to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism.