ROME. Feb 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Teamwork in fighting terrorism must start in practical terms, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told an international conference in Rome on Monday.
International terrorism has challenged the whole of the international community, rather than a single state, he said.
"For this reason the chief specific feature of the new international situation is the obvious coincidence of interests of countries and international organizations facing the same enemy - international terrorism," Ivanov said.
"Terrorists had planned to frighten and divide us, to cash in on our conflicting interests. What they got is our unity and solidarity," he said.
Terrorism that "used to exist as attacks on heads of state and governments or other highly placed officials" has developed into "series of various terrorist attacks aimed against a wide range of individuals and installations. The number of terrorist attacks leading to numerous casualties and significant damage is sharply increasing," Ivanov said.
"On many occasions, terrorists have started to act in small formations and have tightened checks of their members," the minister said.
"Units forming part of terrorist organizations are divided according to their missions: financing, intelligence, counterintelligence, arms and materiel supply, execution of terrorist acts," Ivanov stressed.