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NEW DELHI, Jan 7 (AFP) - Home Minister L.K Advani said Monday that India was involved in a "decisive fight" against terrorism and called on Pakistan to move against extremist groups operating from its soil.

The hawkish home minister, who is number two in India's cabinet, is leaving late Monday for a six-day visit to the United States, where he is expected to exert pressure on Washington to declare Pakistan a terrorist state.

"India's strategy to deal with the situation, as expressed by the prime minister, is that it will be a decisive fight against terrorism. That should be understood properly by all countries," Advani told reporters.

"There are those who advise us to exercise restraint and say there are changes taking place in Pakistan... but 'til now we have not seen any change in attitude in Pakistan (towards ending terrorism)."

Tensions between India and Pakistan have soared since a bloody December 13 assault on India's parliament, which New Delhi accuses Pakistan's intelligence of masterminding. Islamabad denies the allegation.

New Delhi has asked Islamabad to stop the activities of two Pakistan-based militant groups, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, it blames for the attack.

"When people ask us whether there will be war or India will exercise other military options I would really like to say to them that in 20 years India has been fighting another type of proxy war in Kashmir," said Advani.

"Threfore, the question is not whether India will go in for war, the question is whether we will change our strategy to deal with the situation. If you look closely, India's strategy has changed after the December 13 attack."

India recalled its ambassador to Islamabad and severed rail and bus links with Pakistan.

Advani earlier told the Hindustan Times newspaper that he would ask Washington during his trip to the United States to label Pakistan a "terrorist state".

"I will obviously communicate our position and the detailed evidence we have. This leaves no doubt that Pakistan is a terrorist state," Advani told the Hindustan Times.

"I feel that the US has a clear choice and it cannot afford to have double standards. All terrorists are the same."

India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars since independence from British rule in 1947.

The Press Trust of India later reported that the Indian government had enhanced security for Advani, bringing it on par with security for Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, after receiving intelligence reports that he was a "key target" for suicide bombers.

The news agency quoted government sources as saying that the decision was taken after "several wireless intercepts" suggested that Kashmiri militants were planning to bomb Advani's residence.

The report added that Advani had rejected a move to relocate his residence to a more secure bunglow.

Road security will also be tightened for the home minister's cavalcade.

"As per the new security guidelines, traffic will be blocked when Advani is travelling... besides sanitising the route, security personnel will flank both sides of the road," the report said. 

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