Thaindian News

Washington, Aug 19 (IANS) India continued to be severely impacted by terrorism in 2010 with sustained violence in Kashmir and attempted infiltrations from Pakistan remaining serious concerns for government, according to a US report.

“Though there were no attacks on the scale of the 2008 Mumbai assault, India suffered a significant number of lower-level terrorist incidents,” annual congressionally mandated Country Reports on Terrorism released Thursday said.

In response, India has sought not only to improve its own counterterrorism capabilities, but also to improve its coordination with the United States, the international community, and regional partners, it said.

While India continued to see a reduction in the number of deaths attributable to terrorist violence, the loss of nearly 1,900 lives still made India one of the world’s most terrorism-afflicted countries, the report noted.

“Sustained violence in Kashmir over a six-month period and attempted infiltrations from Pakistan across the Line of Control remained serious concerns for the Indian government,” it said.

Throughout 2010, Indian authorities arrested numerous suspected militants, uncovered several arms caches and implemented improved border security measures mainly along the Pakistani border, and tightened laws to counter terrorist financing, the report said.

The Indian government also continued erecting fences along its borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan.

On countering terrorist finance, the report noted that Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which has granted India full membership concluded that as of October 2010, India was on track with its action plan..

Countering extremist ideology has become an important part of India’s counterterrorism strategy, the report said noting the Ministry of Home Affairs continued its Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation policy for misguided youths and militants.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)