- News>
- India
Cross-border terrorism from Pak has not ended: Sinha
New Delhi, Aug 12: Observing that cross-border terrorism from Pakistan has not ended, external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha today said there was evidence of stepped up violence by Pakistan-backed terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir in the run-up to the assembly elections.
New Delhi, Aug 12: Observing that cross-border terrorism from Pakistan has not ended, external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha today said there was evidence of stepped up violence by Pakistan-backed terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir in the run-up to the assembly elections.
''Quite clearly, cross-border terrorism from Pakistan has not ended,'' Sinha told reporters at the Delhi airport shortly after his arrival here from a three-day visit to Afghanistan.
Asked about India's concerns on infiltration, he said ''there is no change in this. We had our apprehensions that in the run-up to the elections, terrorist groups will step up violence there. We have seen evidence of that''.
Sinha, who held talks with afghan interim head Hamid Karzai and other leaders in Kabul and visited Herat, Mazar-e-Shariff and Kandahar, said al Qaeda elements were waiting for opportunities in ''certain areas'' to regroup. ''Everyone in Afghanistan is aware of this and determined not to allow this to happen,'' he said noting that though these elements had dispersed, they were waiting in areas where they had a stronger base and were calling the shots.
''They are not in evidence in Kabul or near it but certainly in the peripheral areas, there is this danger,'' he said.
On reports that al Qaeda terrorists were moving into J&K, he said it was pointed out that some of the people who were captured after the Taliban was defeated had confessed to operating even in j and k from across the Line of Control.
Bureau Report
Asked about India's concerns on infiltration, he said ''there is no change in this. We had our apprehensions that in the run-up to the elections, terrorist groups will step up violence there. We have seen evidence of that''.
Sinha, who held talks with afghan interim head Hamid Karzai and other leaders in Kabul and visited Herat, Mazar-e-Shariff and Kandahar, said al Qaeda elements were waiting for opportunities in ''certain areas'' to regroup. ''Everyone in Afghanistan is aware of this and determined not to allow this to happen,'' he said noting that though these elements had dispersed, they were waiting in areas where they had a stronger base and were calling the shots.
''They are not in evidence in Kabul or near it but certainly in the peripheral areas, there is this danger,'' he said.
On reports that al Qaeda terrorists were moving into J&K, he said it was pointed out that some of the people who were captured after the Taliban was defeated had confessed to operating even in j and k from across the Line of Control.
Bureau Report