Coordinated actions key to countering terrorism: China Daily editorial

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-04-25 21:09

Relatives of victims of a series of deadly explosions grieve outside a police mortuary in Colombo, Sri Lanka in a photo released on Monday. [Photo/Agencies]

The death toll of the multiple explosions which ripped through Sri Lanka on Sunday has risen to 359, according to a police report released on Wednesday. While mourning alongside Sri Lankans, the world community needs to shore up greater resolve and build a broader consensus to counter extremism and terrorism worldwide.

The terrorist attacks in various locations in the South Asian country on the same day must have required a lot of planning, and it is believed they were the result of collaboration between domestic and overseas extremists.

This series of terrorist attacks follows the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and both tragedies should not only sound the alarm but also rally the international community to eliminate the terrorist and extremist elements in civil societies.

While the New Zealand attacks were crimes committed by a white extremist against the local Muslim society, Islamic extremists were behind the atrocities that mainly targeted Christians in Sri Lanka, with the Islamic State terrorist group claiming responsibility, although this has yet to be verified.

But, no matter who is behind such attacks, countries should not stand idly by or question another country's anti-terrorism initiatives. They should work together to fight all forms of extremism and terrorism, no matter the religion or race behind them. Countries need to support each other's efforts in this regard and share information and intelligence as numerous bloody lessons have repeatedly shown us that terrorists know no national boundaries.

With the IS group losing ground in the Middle East, thousands of IS fighters have fled and infiltrated other countries. Not to mention that extremist ideology of various forms still remains rampant thanks to its dissemination on social media.

Only a united global community can uproot both the terrorist cells and the soil that breeds them. Countries with different political and social systems should overcome any biases and abandon any double standard so as to form a united front against global terrorism.

The atrocities in New Zealand and Sri Lanka show even countries that seem to have a low risk of becoming the target of terrorists cannot remain immune to the scourge. To win a battle against terrorism, the world needs to address both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism.

In the end, instead of pointing fingers, it is essential that countries enhance both the effectiveness and efficiency of their cooperation with real coordinated actions.