The perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism must be held accountable, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Thursday, even as he chose not to sign a communique by the bloc for not explicitly addressing India's concerns over Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism, reported news agency PTI.

The SCO operates under the framework of consensus, and Singh's refusal to endorse the document resulted in the SCO defence ministers' conclave ending without a joint communique, people familiar with the matter told PTI.

There was no clear-cut approach to combating terrorism, including cross-border terrorist activities, they said.