New Delhi: India and the United States have jointly called for additional punitive measures against proxies of Pakistan-based terrorist organizations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as well as affiliates of Islamic State and al-Qaeda, during a series of counter-terrorism meetings held in New Delhi. The measures being sought under the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 sanctions regime include global asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes targeting the members, financiers, and backers of these groups.

The discussions took place on December 3, as part of the bilateral Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and a terrorist designations dialogue. According to a joint statement, the proposed designations would extend the UN sanctions to proxies, supporters, sponsors, financiers, and backers of LeT and JeM, ensuring that their operations are restricted on a global scale. This coordinated effort reflects the growing convergence between India and the US in addressing cross-border terrorism and other evolving threats.

India acknowledged the US Department of State’s designation of The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist. TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, underlining the urgent need for international sanctions against such entities.

During the meetings, both countries strongly condemned terrorist attacks in Pahalgam and the incident near the Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, which resulted in twelve fatalities and several injuries. The delegations emphasized that all perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of these attacks must be held accountable. They reiterated that combating terrorism requires sustained, concerted, and multilateral action, particularly against threats that exploit modern technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and artificial intelligence for terrorist purposes.

The two sides also discussed enhancing multilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts, including in forums such as the UN, Quad, and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The meetings allowed officials to review a wide range of traditional and emerging threats, from terrorist recruitment and technology abuse to financing mechanisms and operational coordination.

Officials focused on measures to strengthen law enforcement and judicial cooperation, including mutual legal assistance and intelligence sharing. The Indian delegation was led by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter-Terrorism) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the US delegation was led by Monica Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Counter-Terrorism, US State Department.

Following these bilateral discussions, a Quad Counter-Terrorism Working Group meeting was held in New Delhi from December 4–5, bringing together officials from India, Australia, Japan, and the US. The Quad partners condemned all forms of terrorism, including cross-border attacks, and urged UN member states to cooperate in bringing the perpetrators of the Red Fort incident to justice.

During the Quad meetings, officials assessed the terrorism threat landscape in the Indo-Pacific, reviewing both current and emerging challenges. The discussions focused on the full spectrum of counter-terrorism cooperation, exploring practical measures for joint operational preparedness and strategies to prevent terrorist exploitation of urban environments. A tabletop exercise on “counter-terrorism operations in urban environments” allowed experts to share best practices and identify opportunities for collaboration in responding to complex terrorist scenarios.

The Quad emphasized the need for a secure, open, and free Indo-Pacific, resilient against terrorist threats. The group also highlighted the importance of continued information sharing about terrorists, terrorist organizations, and their proxies to strengthen global counter-terrorism networks.

The joint India-US and Quad engagements underscore a renewed commitment to multilateral counter-terrorism coordination, emphasizing punitive measures, information sharing, and operational preparedness. Both India and the US reaffirmed that combating terrorism effectively requires strategic alignment, intelligence cooperation, and targeted sanctions to disrupt the funding, operations, and global reach of terrorist groups and their proxies.

The discussions also pointed to future cooperation in training, cybersecurity, and exchange of best practices, ensuring that member nations are equipped to respond to increasingly sophisticated terrorist tactics. By combining diplomatic, legal, and operational measures, India and the US aim to isolate terrorist networks, hold them accountable on an international level, and mitigate the threat of cross-border and transnational terrorism.

In sum, the joint efforts by India, the US, and Quad partners signal an intensified, coordinated push at the United Nations and other international forums to impose stricter punitive measures on Pakistan-based terror groups and affiliated organizations, ensuring that their networks are disrupted and members face global legal and financial consequences.