Emphasizing the growing need for coordinated global action against terrorism, Major General Kulvir Singh, Commander of the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, highlighted on Wednesday that the ADMM-Plus framework has become a key pillar of multilateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. Speaking at the 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group on counter-terrorism, co-chaired by India and Malaysia, he noted that the forum demonstrates the seriousness with which member nations address terrorism.

Addressing delegates, he said, “Counter-terrorism is not merely a technical or military issue. It affects every citizen, the stability of our societies, and the future of our region. We are here to strengthen our collective ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from terrorist acts.” He added that terrorism remains one of the most persistent and adaptive threats to international peace and security. Over the past two decades, terrorism has evolved in multiple dimensions, claiming over 400,000 lives worldwide, with only 64 countries remaining unaffected.

Speaking to reporters, Major General Singh mentioned that this was the second Experts Working Group meeting in Delhi, following last year’s session. He explained that a final planning conference for a Table Top Exercise (TTX) would take place later this year in Malaysia, where participating delegations would study counter-terrorism procedures and operational practices of ASEAN member nations. “The outcomes of the TTX will inform the Field Training Exercise (FTX), likely to be conducted next year in Mizoram at the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School. Lessons from the TTX will be applied during the FTX exercise on the ground,” he said.

He also noted that a comprehensive document compiling best practices from all participating countries would be released at the end of the ADMM-Plus meeting. This guide will help nations learn from each other and work towards a unified ASEAN Counter-Terrorism framework (ACTT), creating a common protocol to guide future counter-terrorism exercises.