U.S. sees strong security ties with India

NEW DELHI, July 19 (UPI) -- Washington and New Delhi, in the wake of last week's attacks on Mumbai, can do more to strengthen regional security, the U.S. secretary of state said Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her trip to Mumbai condemned last week's bombings in the strongest terms.

"I want to express our sympathy and outrage over the terrorist attack in Mumbai last week," she said Tuesday in prepared remarks.

More than 120 people were injured and 19 people were killed in a July 13 triple attack in Mumbai. The Indian Mujahedin was named as a possible suspect in the bombings given the nature of the devices used in the attack.

New Delhi hasn't issued an official statement of blame, though authorities say they believe the attack was meant to thwart next week's peace talks with Pakistan.

Clinton said it was "critical" that dialogue with New Delhi produce concrete results in the region.

"We have made progress," she said. "But we can do more to strengthen the security of our nations and this region as a whole."

Bilateral security assistance increased after fighters from the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba killed more than 100 people in a November 2008 attack on Mumbai.

The blasts last week were Mumbai's eighth in 18 years.