Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday pitched for closer co-operation among countries of the region to combat threat of terrorism, warning that maritime infrastructure in the Indian Ocean region could be a potential target of terror groups, a media report said. 
He said non-state actors operating in the region were “powerful” and there was a need to work unitedly to shield the Indian Ocean Region from maritime terrorism, observing that it has the potential to disrupt economic growth.
In an address at the third Counter-Terrorism Conference organised by India Foundation, Wickremesinghe said terror financing must be disrupted and the response mechanism to deal with the challenge must be robust and effective.
Calling for close co-operation among countries of the region to defeat terror, he said “one man’s terrorist cannot be treated as another man’s liberator.”
He said terrorists groups are using modern technologies such as latest digital innovation and encrypted messaging and counter-terror action must be well calibrated.
The Sri Lanka prime minister basically focused on maritime security challenges and said possibility of non-state actors hiding in civilian traffic while targeting maritime infrastructure was very high.