India and the US discussed strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation at a meeting of their Joint Counter-Terrorism Task Force and also during the so-called Designation Dialogue. File. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
India and the US are seeking additional punitive measures such as an asset freeze and an arms embargo by the United Nations against the Pakistani terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, their proxies and supporters.
Both sides also called for further designation of members of ISIS and al-Qaeda. These terrorist groups have been designated by the UN and are already facing various punitive actions under the global organization’s sanctions regime.
India and the US discussed strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation at a meeting of their Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism and also during the ‘Marking Dialogue’ held in Delhi on December 3.
In the talks, the Indian side thanked the US State Department for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), LeT’s proxy, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
TRF claimed responsibility for Pahalgam terror attack.
Both sides stressed that countering terrorism requires coordinated action in a sustainable and comprehensive manner, according to a joint statement issued on Saturday.
In this context, both sides renewed their commitment to strengthen multilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including cooperation in the UN, the Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
“Both sides have called for the additional designation of ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates and LeT and JeM and their proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and supporters under the UN 1267 sanctions regime, which will ensure that their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo,” the statement said.
She said the meetings underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, reflecting the “spirit and breadth” of the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership.
“Both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They expressed concern over the growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and AI for terrorist purposes,” the statement added.
She said both sides strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the recent heinous terrorist incident near the Red Fort while stressing that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable.
“Both sides reviewed a wide range of traditional and emerging threats and challenges, such as terrorist recruitment, the misuse of technology for terrorist purposes and terrorist financing.” “Both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation against challenges, including training, cyber security, exchange of best practices and information sharing through continued bilateral and multilateral efforts,” the statement said.
India and the US have also discussed strengthening law enforcement and judicial cooperation, including through information sharing and cooperation in mutual legal assistance requests.
Their delegations were led by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter-Terrorism) at the Department of External Affairs, and Monica Jacobsen, Senior Officer, Counter-Terrorism Office, US State Department.
Published – 06 Dec 2025 18:47 IST
