SINGAPORE, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Defense ministers, military officials and experts called for cooperation between countries to combat terrorism during the ongoing 15th Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday.
During a luncheon hosted by Singapore Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen for participating ministers and their representatives, the ministers had an in-depth discussion on the global threat of terrorism.
The ministers viewed terrorism as a clear and present threat that no country can single-handedly manage given its amorphous and transboundary nature. They also talked about the threat of home-grown terrorists, Islamophobia, the danger of marginalizing moderate Muslims, and the battle of ideology against Islamic State (IS).
They stressed that international and regional cooperation was necessary to effectively prevent terrorists from gaining a foothold in this region, especially given the threat of returning fighters.
At a forum on the same day, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the fight against IS has become "one of our greatest challenges today."
He added that combating terrorism needs cooperation between countries in a non-traditional way.
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