US State Department asks Pakistan to target all terrorists

NEW DELHI: The US State Department has backed India's assertion on terror groups operating from Pakistan and has asked Islamabad to target all terror groups, "including those that target Pakistan's neighbours".

The statement by State Department deputy spokesperson Mark C Toner came hours after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's hard hitting address at the UN General Assembly in which she nailed Pakistan for nurturing, peddling and exporting terrorism.

"We want to see Pakistan better able to respond to the threat that terrorism poses" to Pakistan and others, Toner said on Monday, adding "there are terrorist groups that seek refuge or asylum or shelter in Pakistan's territory".

Toner said: "We have been very clear that they need to target all militant groups, including those that target Pakistan's neighbours, and close all safe havens". Toner, however, stressed on the need for a direct dialogue between India and Pakistan. "India and Pakistan really stand to benefit from the normalization of relations between them...and we encourage both India and Pakistan to pursue and engage in direct dialogue ."