India and ASEAN member states have condemned terrorist attacks in India and pledged to strengthen cooperation against cross-border terrorism, transnational crime, and cybercrime during the 13th ASEAN-India Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crimes (SOMTC), according to a statement from India Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The virtual meeting, held on June 17, was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism at India MEA, and Nestor B Sanares, Undersecretary for Peace and Order at the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government, representing the ASEAN side.
According to the MEA statement released on Friday, both sides specifically condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, in which 26 people were killed, and the incident near the Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, 2025, which also resulted in multiple fatalities.
"Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism," the MEA statement read. "They further condemned the heinous terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam and the terror incident on 10 November 2025 near the Red Fort, New Delhi. Both sides emphasised the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism and transnational crimes in a comprehensive and sustained manner."
The discussions covered cooperation in several areas under the ASEAN-India Work Plan to Combat Transnational Crimes, including illicit drug trafficking, human trafficking, international economic crime, and cybercrime. Both sides also discussed institutional linkages and capacity-building programmes to strengthen collaboration, the MEA said.
India has been a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN since 1992 and was elevated to a summit-level partner in 2002. Counter-terrorism cooperation has become a growing priority in the relationship as both sides face security challenges from militant groups operating across borders in South and Southeast Asia. The ASEAN-India Work Plan to Combat Transnational Crimes provides the framework for joint training, intelligence sharing, and operational coordination among member states and dialogue partners.
The MEA said the next meeting, the 14th ASEAN-India SOMTC Consultation on Transnational Crimes, is scheduled to be held in Singapore in 2027.
India has pushed for stronger international coordination on cross-border terrorism at multilateral forums including ASEAN-led platforms. Both the Pahalgam attack, which targeted tourists in the Kashmir region, and the Red Fort incident in the national capital drew international condemnation when they occurred in 2025. Both cases remain under investigation by Indian authorities, with security agencies citing links to groups based outside Indian territory.
Southeast Asian nations have faced similar challenges with transnational crime. Several ASEAN members, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, have grappled with militant activity, drug trafficking networks, and cybercrime syndicates operating across the region. The Philippines co-chair role in this meeting reflects its engagement in regional security coordination as it holds the ASEAN chairship for 2026.
Sources: India Ministry of External Affairs, ETV Bharat, malaysiasun.com
