Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today termed terrorism as the foremost challenge in the region and urged ASEAN countries to ‘cooperate unreservedly’ to locate and destroy terror networks.
Speaking at the 20th ASEAN Regional Forum Heads of Defence Universities meet here, Parrikar, without naming Pakistan per say, said that there is a need to delegitimize terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
“Terrorism remains foremost challenge to our (ASEAN) region. We need to oppose terrorism resolutely everywhere, delegitimise it as an instrument of state policy, and cooperate unreservedly to locate and destroy terrorist networks,” he said.
“The security frameworks in our (ASEAN) region still does not give enough attention to terrorism. This must change,” he added.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam as members.
Parrikar’s remarks came on a day when terrorists launched another attack on an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir. Three terrorists, believed to be Pakistan backed, were killed in the attack on an army camp.
A total of 19 soldiers were martyred in a militant attack on an army camp in Uri on September 18. The Army had launched surgical strikes targeting terror camps located across the LoC on the intervening night of September 28 and September 29.
