The use of advanced technology, cyber tools and unmanned systems by terrorist groups necessitate a cohesive, forward-looking and action-oriented approach, observed Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh during the keynote address at the 14th meeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) - Plus Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi.
He pointed out that given the geopolitical and economic significance of the Indo-Pacific region, it is particularly vulnerable to transitional terrorism and violent extremism. He called for a comprehensive, adaptive, and deeply collaborative response to emerging threats in the region. “India remains steadfast in its zero tolerance policy towards terrorism and believes in an approach that combines robust domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing, and strong regional cooperation,” Singh said.
India looks forward to building synergy among the defence forces, security agencies, and policy frameworks to address emerging threats effectively through the ADMM-Plus platform, he added.
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Observing that in the complex, hyper-connected and fast-paced world, social and ecological systems are fragile, he said, "Terrorism can destabilise governments, undermine civil society, and threaten social and economic development. We have a collective obligation to provide the decision-makers guidance to understand uncertainty and better weigh the impact on decision making.”
Singh stated that in the present cycle of EWG on Counter-Terrorism, the focus will be on strengthening regional cooperation and improving interoperability among the armed forces through structured joint initiatives. He said the aim would be to counter the misuse of emerging technologies and address threats posed by terrorists through the use of AI-driven propaganda, encrypted communications, and drone technologies. Strengthening cyber resilience against online radicalisation and recruitment efforts will also be a focus area, Singh added.