Brown calls for international action on terrorism

Gordon Brown called today for improved international action against terrorism following the Mumbai attacks.

The Prime Minister said that as far as the Government was aware, there were no British hostages still being held in the Indian financial capital.

And he said ministers were determined to do what they could to help the Indian authorities dealing with the attacks.

"It is clear that we have got to help the Indian government deal with this terrorist incident and we have sent people from the Metropolitan Police to help," he told Sky News.

"This is an atrocious outbreak of violence planned in advance and I think we have got to look at how international action against terrorism can be improved over the next period of time."

Mr Brown said he would be discussing the attacks with Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh following claims by the Indian government that the attackers came from outside the country.

"There is so much information still to be discovered and made available. I have heard what Prime Minister Singh has said and I'll talk to him about it this morning," Mr Brown said.

"But obviously when you have terrorists operating in one country, they may be getting support from another country or coming from another country, and it is very important that we strengthen the co-operation between India and Britain in dealing with these instances of terrorist attacks."

Mr Brown said the British High Commissioner to India, Sir Richard Stagg, was trying to establish how many UK nationals had been injured in the attacks.

The Prime Minister said his thoughts were with those who had died, including the British businessman Andreas Liveras.

"Of course, we are mourning the death of a British citizen who died and there are a number of British citizens who are injured," he said.

"As the High Commissioner visits different hospitals in the Mumbai area, he is trying to discover the degree to which people are ill and injured."