UNITED NATIONS-India told the UN General Assembly on Monday that terrorist actions in Afghanistan were linked to the support and sanctuaries available in the 'contiguous areas, in what diplomatic observers here saw as an attempt to blame Pakistan for the deteriorating situation in that country. 'Asymmetric warfare and complex terrorist attacks are being mounted in Afghanistan and the well-springs that sustain such terror show no signs of being drained, Khagen Das, an Indian member of Parliament, told the 192-member Assembly. 'The challenge from a resurgent Taliban and al Qaeda is real, and it is one that threatens us all, he said while speaking in a debate on the situation in Afghanistan before voting on a resolution that declared the Presidential election as 'credible. 'Civilians, humanitarian personnel, international and UN staff and diplomatic personnel- including our Mission in Kabul have been targeted in terrorist attacks, said the representative of India, a country which is deeply involved in Afghanistan. 'That explains the particularly high-level of violence in the border areas of Afghanistan, Das added. 'Security and stabilisation of Afghanistan will remain a distant goal unless we are able to root out the elements of al Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorist and extremist groups operating from within and outside Afghanistans borders. As such, the Indian delegate said the Afghan National Security Forces had to be enlarged and developed more quickly and in a professional manner. Also, they should be given resources, combat equipment and training, and he appreciated efforts being made by third countries in that regard. In the battle for hearts and minds of Afghans, tenacity was critical, he added. He said reconciliation efforts required strategic clarity and a unity of purpose. Without consensus among the relevant parties over key issues, divisions could be created, he said. 'Terrorism cannot be compartmentalised, Das added. History suggested that attempts to strike 'Faustian bargains with terrorists often resulted in such forces turning on the very powers that sustained them in the past, he said. Any efforts that weakened the Central Governments authority would be counter-productive, and he supported the Governments efforts to integrate those willing to live and work within the parameters of the Afghan Constitution. That should go hand-in-hand with the shutting down of sanctuaries provided to terrorist groups across the border, he added.