MUMBAI: Exercising self-defence is a nation's primary right and when a situation demands and we will strike if attacked by non-state actors, India made this emphatically clear at a United Nations meeting.

Speaking at an Arria Formula meeting organised by Mexico, India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu said that non-state actors such as terrorist groups often attack states from remote locations within other host states, using the sovereignty of that host state as a 'smokescreen'.

Without directly naming any country but with an obvious reference to our neighbor Pakistan, Naidu said that India for decades has been subject to such proxy cross-border and relentless state-supported terrorist attacks from our neighborhood.

Highlighting several proxy cross-border and state-supported terrorist attacks like the 26/11 Mumbai assault the country was subjected to from its neighbour, Naidu said that in such a situation when non-state actors perpetrate an attacks 'immediate and proportionate action' will be taken. 

"Whether it is was the 1993 Mumbai bombings, or the random and indiscriminate firings of 26/11 or more recently, the cowardly attacks in Pathankot and Pulwama, the world has been witness to the fact that India has repeatedly been targeted by such non-state actors with the active complicity of another host State,” Mr. Naidu said.

He reminded the assembly that a 1974 UN General Assembly declaration requires that a member state should not allow territory under its control to be used for terrorism against another state.

"The Security Council also mandates all states to refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts," Naidu said further adding, "Despite this, some states are resorting to proxy war by supporting non-state actors such as terrorist groups to evade international censure.”

For several decades Pakistan has been providing support to non-state terrorist groups from providing and equipping them with training, financing, intelligence and weapons to logistics and recruitment facilitation.