World must not let down united effort to combat terror

New Delhi (PTI) - India on Monday termed Osama bin
Laden's killing as a "decisive blow" to al Qaeda even as it
voiced serious concern over terrorists finding sanctuary deep
inside Pakistan and pressed Islamabad to arrest perpetrators
of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior
ministers P Chidambaram and S M Krishna came out with separate
statements hours after US President Barack Obama announced
that 54-year-old Osama, the most wanted terrorist in the
world, was shot dead in a US operation in Abbotabad, 120 km
from the Pakistan capital early on Monday.
They asked the international community not to let down
its united effort to combat terrorism and eliminate the safe
havens and sanctuaries provided in the neighbourhood.
The Prime Minister described Osama's killing as a
"significant step forward " and hope that it will deal a
decisive blow to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
He said the "international community and Pakistan in
particular must work comprehensively to end the activities of
all such groups who threaten civilised behaviour and kill
innocent men, women and children".
The killing of the global terrorist "deep inside
Pakistan" underlines India's apprehension that terrorists
belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in that
country, said Chidambaram.
"We take note with grave concern that part of the
statement in which President Obama said that the fire fight in
which Osama Bin Laden was killed took place in Abbotabad 'deep
inside Pakistan'.
"This fact underlines our concern that terrorists
belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in
Pakistan," he said.
The Minister said the perpetrators of Mumbai terror
attack, including the controllers and handlers of the
terrorists, continue to be sheltered in Pakistan.
"We once again call upon the Government of Pakistan to
arrest the persons whose names have been handed over to the
Interior Minister of Pakistan as well as provide voice samples
of certain persons who are suspected to be among the
controllers and handlers of the terrorists," he said.
He said that the US had reason to go after Obama and
bring him to justice.
"After the September 11, 2001, terror attack, the US
had a reason to seek Osama bin Laden and bring him and his
accomplices to justice," the statement said.
Terming Osama's killing as a "victorious milestone" in
the global war against terrorism, Krishna said the world "must
not let down" its united effort to eliminate the safe havens
that have been provided to terrorists in its neighbourhood.
"This operation brings to closure an almost decade-long
search for the head of the al Qaeda," he said.
Asserting that the struggle must continue "unabated",
Krishna said, "The world must not let down its united effort
to overcome terrorism and eliminate the safe havens and
sanctuaries that have been provided to terrorists in our own
neighbourhood.