India for action to curb Taliban terror

New Delhi, May 29 (UNI) Saying that Taliban's growing strength in Afghanistan's south has acquired threatening proportions, India today called for action on the security front.

''We are ready to work together with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the international community towards this end,'' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Hamburg.

He said the resurgence of Taliban had set the stabilisation of security situation in Afghanistan on precarious ground.

''The increase in suicide attacks, kidnappings and most of all the growing strength of the Taliban through Afghanistan's south... calls for a well thought out counter strategy,'' he said and urged the international community to prevent the re-enactment of the ghastly dance of death of the past.

He pointed out that Afghanistan's concerns at the incidence of cross-border infiltration had been accompanied by serious clashes between the border guards of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

''As a victim of the evil of terrorism, we knew that the fight against global terrorism was never going to be an easy one. We cannot allow our enthusiasm to wane or improvise solutions by way of compromises, whether with the Taliban or with others,'' he said.

''We are dealing with a globally and regionally interconnected alliance of terrorist groups. The al-Qaeda and the Taliban feed off, nourish and protect each other and actively cooperate in carrying out attacks against their enemies, which includes most of us present here today.'' Mr Mukherjee said efferts should be made to deal with the security challenge as well as the developmental effort.

''India has a large and ambitious assistance programme in place, ranging from roads and hydroelectricity to small developmental projects, education and training. Much more needs to be done,'' he said and added that developmental efforts had to be simultaneously accompanied by action on the security front.

UNI