Pakistan vows to hunt Mumbai attack plotters - Rice

By Sue Pleming and Robert Birsel

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday Pakistan had given assurances of its commitment to root out terrorism and round up anyone connected to last week's attack in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Rice, on a trip aimed at curbing tension between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, said the Mumbai attack showed a level of sophistication unseen in the region and urgent action was needed to get the perpetrators and prevent more attacks.

But she played down fear of a military response by India, saying the global struggle against terrorism needed cooperation.

India and U.S. officials have blamed groups based on Pakistani territory for the attack, but no accusations have been levelled at the Pakistani state or its agencies.

Pakistan has condemned the assault, denied any involvement by state agencies and vowed to help the Indian investigation, but it wants proof of Pakistani involvement.

In a delicate balancing act, Rice met Indian leaders on Wednesday in New Delhi, where she called for restraint. Rice said she had reasonable and responsible discussions in both capitals.

The assault on India's commercial capital killed 171 people, including six Americans.

"This was a terrible attack. It was a sophisticed attack, a level of sophistication that we haven't seen here on the subcontinent before," Rice told a news conference at a military airfield before departing.