India says linkages between UNSC-proscribed groups such as LeT and JeM pose direct threat to region

By Yoshita Singh
    United Nations, Jun 23 (PTI) India on Thursday said linkages between UNSC-proscribed groups such as LeT and the JeM pose a direct threat to the region and called for unified international action to ensure Afghanistan does not become a haven for terrorist groups and that proscribed entities do not get any support from the terror sanctuaries based in the region, a veiled reference to Pakistan.
    India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said in the UN Security Council meeting on UNAMA that there is a significant increase in the presence of ISIL-K in Afghanistan and their capacity to carry out attacks.
    Islamic State–Khorasan, an affiliate of the Islamic State militant group, with its base reportedly in Afghanistan, continues to issue threats of terrorist attacks on other countries.
    He cited the recent findings of the 1988 Sanctions Committee’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team Report that indicated that the current authorities in Afghanistan need to take much stronger action to fulfill their anti-terrorism commitments.
    The report further noted that the Taliban is yet to dissociate itself with other terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda which continue to remain active.
    "The linkages between groups listed by the UNSC such as the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, as well as, provocative statements made by other terrorist groups operating out of Afghanistan pose a direct threat to the region," he said.
    "There are, therefore, serious concerns which need our immediate attention and unified action to ensure that the Afghanistan does not become a haven for other terrorist organisations including ISIS-K, Al-Qaeda, JeM and LeT," he said.
    "We need to see concrete progress in ensuring that such proscribed terrorists, entities, or their aliases do not get any support, tacit or direct, either from Afghan soil or from the terror sanctuaries based in the region,” Tirumurti said, making a veiled reference to Pakistan.
    He added that India is closely motioning the security situation in Afghanistan and is actively engaging with international community to ensure consensus on issues of security, peace, and stability.
    "We strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Gurudwara Dashmesh Pita Sahibji in Kabul on June 18. The terrorist assault on places of worship of minority communities and targeting of innocent civilian population continues to be a serious concern." PTI YAS ZH
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)