Washington, April 29, 2005 (PTI)

Taking forward Indo-US cooperation in counter-terrorism, the US has put Al-Mansoorian, a shadow outfit of Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) operating in Jammu and Kashmir, and Assam's outlawed insurgent group ULFA and naxal group CPI (Maoist) as terrorist outfits.

While Al-Mansoorian has been categorised as Forign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) under which its properties can be sealed, ULFA and CPI (Maoist) were put in the list of Other Selected Terrorist Organisation (OSTO) to be kept under watch.

Releasing its report, "2004 Country Reports on Terrorism" yesterday, the US State Department expanded the description of the LeT, already banned in December 2000, by including its various names including Al-Mansoorian in the FTO list.

Pasban-e-Ahle-Hadit, Pasban-e-Ahlehadis, Army of Pure, The Army of Pure and Righteous have also been included in the FTO list and all of them are shadow outfits of Lashker.

The report said the elements of Lashker and Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) combined with other groups to mount attacks in Jammu and Kashmir under the name of "Save Kashmir Movement."

Almost all Lashker members are Pakistani from Madrasas across Pakistan and Afghan war veterans, the report said.

It also named ULFA in OSTO list as a consequence of its continued targeting of civilians.

It took note of ULFA's alleged use of extortion to finance military training and weapons purchases.

With regard to naxalites, the report said the primary Naxalite groups took steps towards consolidation by combining to form the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Citing India as an important ally in its global fight against terrorism, the State Department report strongly condemned acts of terrorism in other parts of the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, the 'Naxalite Belt', and the northeast.

The report recognised important changes in the country's counter-terrorism legislation, especially the Prevention of Terrorismn Act (POTA) and its replacement with a revamped Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, an official release of the US embassy said here today.

While commending the work undertaken by the Indian leadership in initiating dialogue with its neighbours in Nepal and Bhutan to counter terrorism, the report highlighted the plight of the common people at the receiving end of the insurgent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir where it said one terrorist strike occured near a day.