India welcomes US move to declare IM as terror outfit

NEW DELHI: India today welcomed the designation by the US of Indian Mujahideen ( IM) as Foreign Terrorist Organisation ( FTO), saying it reflected shared commitment between the two countries to combat the menace.

"The US designation reflects our shared commitment to combat terrorism, as well as, the strong and growing bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, which is an important component of the India-US strategic partnership," official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The designation also recognises that IM has links with Pakistan-based Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI), and notes that IM was responsible for dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005 including playing a facilitative role in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, he said.

This underscores once again the destructive agenda of these organisations with trans-regional links and operations, and the responsibility of all countries, in India's neighbourhood and beyond, to join hands with the international community to root out the menace of terrorism, once and for all, he said.

Slapping the sanctions yesterday, the US State Department said, "IM's stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective - an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia."

"These designations highlight the threat posed by IM not only to Western interests, but to India, a close US partner. The Indian populace has borne the brunt of IM's wanton violence and today's actions illustrate our solidarity with the Indian Government," stated Daniel Benjamin, the Department of State's Coordinator for Counter terrorism in Washington.