'Terrorists may use sea routes to strike India'

NEW DELHI: The US feels India’s fears of terrorists using sea routes to sustain their campaign are well-grounded and has suggested that counter-measures like container security initiative needed to be ratified soon. “Such fears are realistic as terrorists are feeling hemmed in their present sanctuaries,” top US admiral Timothy J Keating said here adding, “possibilities of their using maritime domain are alive”.

A joint strategy needs to be evolved to combat such tactics and “we are in dialogue with nations on this”, Keating, commander of the key US pacific command, now on a visit here, said. He met top Indian defence and strategic brass in New Dlehi on Friday.

Keating, elaborating on terrorists using sea routes, said, “such attacks are already happening with attempts on some US naval ships and on commercial shipping lines”.

“The US has stressed in these meetings with Indian brass that there cant be any let up in pressure mounted on terrorists,” Keating said, emphasising that they should not be allowed “time and space to regroup”. “Our commitment to fight the terrorists should be unwavering,” he said.

Keating said the US was in dialogue with a number of like-minded countries, including India, on counter-terrorism measures like the container security initiative. “Ratification of this will lead to sharing of data base, essential to keep track of terrorist movements”.