India and UK discuss counterterrorism cooperation

On Saturday, June 7, India and the UK held talks to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation. The discussions were announced by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lammy is the most senior Western official to visit both India and Pakistan since the two nations agreed a ceasefire last month, ending their most serious military confrontation in thirty years. The confrontation was sparked by a terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 persons. In response, India launched strikes against suspected terrorist camps in Pakistan, prompting retaliatory actions from Islamabad.
Speaking with media in New Delhi, Lammy said the UK wants the ceasefire to hold but recognized the “fragility” of the situation due to the terrorist threat to India. He said he discussed deepening counterterrorism cooperation with Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar. He did not provide further details. Last year, both countries already explored the possibility of further cooperation in areas such as curbing terror financing and sharing intelligence.