Pakistan must end activities of terror groups: Prime Minister

New Delhi: Describing Osama bin Laden's killing as a "significant step forward", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday asked the international community and Pakistan, in particular, to work comprehensively to end the activities of all terror groups.

"I welcome it as a significant step forward and hope that it will deal a decisive blow to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups," Mr Singh said in a statement here, hours after US President Barack Obama announced that 54-year-old Osama, the most-wanted terrorist in the world, was shot dead in Abbottabad, 120 km from the Pakistan capital early on Monday morning.

Striking a cautionary note, though, the government expressed "grave concern" over the presence of Osama "deep inside Pakistan".

Speaking to NDTV, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram made it clear that the Al Qaeda chief's death was not the end of terror and his presence in Abbottabad were ominous signs of Pakistan continuing to provide a safe sanctuary to terrorists. (Watch: Pak sanctuary for terrorists, says Chidambaram)

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"This does not mean the end of terror. Al Qaeda never directly threatened India. The terrorist organisations that threaten us like the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) continue to threaten India and plot against India. As long as Pakistan entertains these terror outfits and doesn't dismantle the terror infrastucture, we'll have to be very vigilant", Mr Chidambaram said.

Earlier in the day, the Mr Chidambaram issued a statement urging Islamabad to bring to book the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks.

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"We once again call upon the Government of Pakistan to arrest the persons whose names have been handed over to the Interior Minister of Pakistan as well as provide voice samples of certain persons who are suspected to be among the controllers and handlers of the terrorists," he said in his statement. (Read the entire statement)

Mr Chidambaram also said that the US was justified in going after Osama.

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"After the September 11, 2001, terror attack, the US had a reason to seek Osama bin Laden and bring him and his accomplices to justice," the statement said.

(With PTI inputs)