Pakistan exporting terrorism, says India's Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed a finger at Pakistan on Saturday following a deadly army base attack, saying it was exporting terrorism to the world.

Every terrorist attack was followed by news of some link to Pakistan, Modi said at a rally of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party in the southern port town of Khozikode. Pakistan's actions were affecting India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Modi added.

His comments came against the backdrop of increased tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours after India blamed Pakistan-based militants for an attack on an Indian Army base in Jammu and Kashmir state in which 18 soldiers were killed.

India claims Pakistan aids and abets Kashmiri militants who carry out attacks in India. Pakistan has denied responsibility.

Modi said that India's security forces had thwarted 17 groups of militants in the past few months who had crossed into India-administered Kashmir with the intention of carrying out suicide attacks.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over the disputed Kashmir region.

India was ready to compete with Pakistan, Modi said, but over poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and infant and maternal mortality. "Let us fight against these and see who wins," he said. The Kozhikode rally was Modi's first public comments on the attack, not counting his initial reactions on Twitter.    (dpa)

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