Washington, April 28, 2005 (PTI)

Infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir significantly declined in 2004 due to the fence put up by India along the Line of Control (LoC) and an effective security mechanism, the US State Department has said.

The Department made this assessment in its annual "Country Reports on Terrorism 2004" released on Wednesday where it also noted that "India remains an important ally in the global war on terrorism."

It said Indian security forces were increasingly effective, particularly in Kashmir.

The Government noted a significant decline in infiltration from PoK during 2004, attributing the drop in large part to the fence it constructed during the year-long ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir, the report said.