'Mumbai attacks embody scope of warfare India had to mount against terrorists'

The 2611 Mumbai terror attacks epitomise the sheer scale and scope of urban warfare that India had to mount against jihadi terrorists the countryrsquos envoy to the UN has said asserting that any debate on protection of civilians would be incomplete without taking into account the carnage wrought by terrorist forces especially those backed by State actors a thinlyveiled reference to PakistanAddressing the UNSC Open Debate lsquoProtection of civilians in armed conflict Wars in cities protection of civilians in urban settingsrsquo Indiarsquos Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti on Tuesday told the Council that the ldquodastardly terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008 which resulted in the killing of 166 innocent civilians of 15 nationalities is still a ghastly reminder to the entire international communityldquoHaving suffered the scourge of cross border terrorism for decades India has always been at the forefront of global counterterrorism efforts We have witnessed dastardly terrorist attacks on our cities targeting innocent civilians Any debate on protection of civilians in urban areas would be incomplete without taking into account the carnage wrought by terrorist forces especially those backed by State actorsrdquo said Tirumurti Hafiz Saeedled JamaatudDawah JuD is the front organisation for the LashkareTaiba LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attacks Saeed has been serving jail sentence at the Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore in Pakistan for his conviction in terror financing casesldquoIn recent memory the Mumbai terror attacks epitomise the sheer scale and scope of urban warfare that we had to mount against jihadi terrorists when our police personnel had to put their lives on the line to secure the cityrsquos safetyrdquo he said He underlined the need for international community to stand firm on its opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reject any attempt to provide any justifications for terrorist acts ldquoWe should remember that the consequences of any relaxation of our guard on this count would be borne not only by civilians but even by the security forces which combat them in extremely difficult conditions in urban areasldquoWe have already seen implications of such an approach in Europe where lone wolf attacks have resulted in killings of civilians in urban areas and terrorising the urban populationsrdquo Tirumurti said Tirumurti noted with concern that the world is already witnessing the effect of urban warfare and terrorist attacks in cities According to the Secretary Generalrsquos report more than 50 million people were affected by conflict in urban areasldquoPeople in Afghanistan Libya Syria and Yemen have witnessed the devastation caused by urban conflicts There are other countries as well which are still reeling from military actions carried out in the past either without due consideration for protecting civilian population or through deliberate targeting of civilians amounting to genocide as was done in the erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971 now Bangladeshrdquo he saidHe said civilian population and infrastructure are easy targets of terrorist groups and nonstate actors and vulnerable groups women children and minorities as well as indispensable civilian infrastructure hospitals and irreplaceable cultural heritage have been the first casualties of attacks by such actors The open debate held under Norwayrsquos current Presidency of the Council was chaired by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr StoreUN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Council that from Afghanistan to Libya Syria Yemen and beyond the risk of harm to civilians rises when combatants move among them and put military facilities and equipment near civilian infrastructure ldquoConflict in urban areas goes far beyond its immediate impact on civilians It also puts people at risk of sieges and blockades which have had a horrific impact on civilians up to and including starvationrdquo Guterres saidTirumurti added that there has been an unprecedented resurgence in armed conflicts around the globe which has been further complicated by the ongoing COVID19 pandemic With over half of the worldrsquos population living in urban centres today and this figure projected to increase to more than twothird by 2050 Tirumurti said ldquohistory has shown us that the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure has been used as a weapon of war especially during the two World WarsSubsequent wars and armed conflicts have also witnessed such acts under the guise of collateral damage With the growth in urbanisation it is inevitable that the impact of armed conflicts on people living in cities will increase he said While the primary responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of populations including the maintenance of essential services rests with national governments Tirumurti said over decades of practice and shaped by the calamitous experience of destructive wars ldquowe now have a set of international principles and jurisprudence which places no less responsibility on the aggressor to ensure that civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targeted in situations of armed conflictsIn the face of this aggression especially in the urban areas it is equally incumbent on States to protect those who put their lives in the line of fire to protect civilians In other words we also need to protect the protectorsrdquo Tirumurti added that nations should not ignore fundamental issues and international power politics that contribute to accentuation of armed conflictsAll conflicts must be resolved by peaceful means and through political and diplomatic efforts in line with international law and principles of the UN Charter he said adding that the debate on effects of conflicts in urban settings cannot be delinked from the postconflict role In the postconflict context rehabilitation and reconstruction of civilian infrastructure and restoration of essential services should be given high priority to facilitate socioeconomic recovery and peace buildingAfter the end of the armed conflict in 2009 in Sri Lanka India assisted its government in immediately restoring essential civilian infrastructure and deployed 7 demining teams on an emergency basis which enabled the internally displaced persons IDPs to return to their homes and livelihood India had also invested three billion dollars in infrastructure and community development projects in Afghanistan he saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever