New Delhi |Dec 06, 2025 | www.externalaffairs.in
INDIA hosted the 3rd Quad Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting on December 04–05, bringing together senior counterterror officials from India, Japan, Australia, and the United States. The forum, created in March 2023, comes at a time when the Indo-Pacific’s security calculus remains deeply affected by cross-border terror networks, drone-based attacks, cyber radicalisation, and terror financing through emerging digital systems.
Led by Ambassador Sibi George, India emphasised that Quad must move beyond consultation to operational readiness, calling for a stronger, coordinated architecture against terrorism. He highlighted the need for unified messaging, integrated response planning, and intelligence cooperation, while thanking member countries for solidarity following the Pahalgam terror attack (April 22, 2025).
Unified Condemnation of Terrorism
Delegations from all four nations unequivocally condemned terrorism in all forms, with specific reference to:
- cross-border terrorism affecting India
- the November 10 Red Fort attack in Delhi
Quad partners demanded swift international cooperation to bring planners, financiers, and safe-haven providers to justice.
The Delegation Heads
- India: Dr. Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (CT), MEA
- Australia: Ms. Gemma Huggins, Ambassador for Counter Terrorism
- Japan: Hiroyuki Minami, Ambassador for Countering Terrorism and Organized Crime
- United States: Ms. Monica Ager Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official, CT Bureau
Officials reviewed the Indo-Pacific terror landscape, including:
- expansion of transnational terror proxies
- drone-based strike capabilities
- dark-web recruitment pipelines
- crypto-enabled terror financing
- radicalisation ecosystems within digital platforms
Operational Preparedness: Urban Terror Combat Simulation
A key feature of the conclave was a live Tabletop Exercise (TTx) titled:
“Counter Terrorism Operations in an Urban Environment.”
The exercise simulated:
- multi-site civilian hostage situations
- drone-aided suicide strikes
- encrypted terror command-and-control networks
- financial laundering flows through digital assets
The drill enabled the four nations to synchronise tactical doctrines and intelligence workflows.
Technology as a Core Threat Domain
Quad noted rising terror use of:
- UAVs and custom drone swarms
- blockchain-based remittance routes
- AI-enabled propaganda distribution
- immersive radicalisation platforms (AR/VR)
India highlighted two recent CTWG workshops hosted in September 2025:
- Countering UAV Terror Use – led by National Security Guard
- Tech-Driven Terror Financing Disruption – led by National Investigation Agency
Looking Ahead
Quad committed to:
- deeper terror intelligence sharing
- coordinated pressure on terror financiers and safe-haven states
- aligning in multilateral fora including UN, FATF, BRICS, SCO, and INTERPOL
The 4 nations also reaffirmed that the Indo-Pacific must remain open, stable, and free from violent extremist threats.
The next CTWG meeting will convene in 2026, as Quad shifts to what India frames as “action, interoperability, and zero-tolerance doctrine” against cross-border terrorism.
Editorial Lens
The Delhi meet signals a decisive shift:
Quad CT is no longer a consultative grouping—it is evolving into a joint planning and threat-neutralising platform designed for rapid response across a region increasingly targeted by state-linked extremist proxies.
India’s guiding message was clear:
Terrorism tolerated anywhere becomes a threat everywhere.
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