India, US to share terror intelligence, watch-list information

New Delhi: India and the United States have agreed to finalise a pact to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said that at the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Ministerial Dialogue held in Washington on September 22, 2015, a joint declaration on combating terrorism was issued.

"The declaration identified specific steps to further strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation. The government of India and USA have agreed to finalise an agreement to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information," he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

However, Chaudhary said, further details in this matter cannot be disclosed in the interest of national security and friendly relations with the foreign country.

Replying to another question, the Minister said as per global terrorism index 2015, the deaths in 2014 from terrorism the world over recorded an increase of more than 80 per cent, whereas India recorded an increase of just 1 per cent.

However, the overall internal security situation in the country is under control, he said.

The range of challenges to internal security in India emanating from terrorism, insurgency can be categorised into four broad theatres -- cross border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, militancy in the Northeast, Left Wing Extremism in certain states and terrorism in the hinterland.

A total of 53 people lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 due to terrorism while 54 people were killed in the state till November 22, 2015.

As many as 232 people died in insurgency related violence in the Northeast in 2014 and 85 were killed in the region till November 15.

Altogether 309 people lost their lives due to Maoist violence in 2014 and 210 were killed in such violence till November 15, 2015.

Four people were killed in terrorist violence in hinterland in 2014 and seven lost their lives so far this year.