New Delhi - India, the United States and Pakistan face a common threat, Richard Holbrooke, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said Monday after talks with Indian leaders.

Holbrooke is in the Indian capital on the last leg of a fact-finding tour to the region which earlier took him to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"India, US and Pakistan all have a common threat now ... an enemy that poses a direct threat to our leaderships, our capitals and our people," Holbrooke told reporters after meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Holbrooke is the first high-ranking US official to visit India since Barack Obama became president.

The November Mumbai terrorist attacks figured prominently in the discussions between Holbrooke and Mukherjee, an Indian official said.

India has claimed elements in Pakistan were behind the attacks, which left more than 170 dead in the country's financial hub, and submitted a dossier of evidence to Pakistan.

Pakistan on Thursday admitted that the attacks were partly planned on its territory and said a criminal case was registered against the suspects, many of whom were already in police custody.

Holbrooke met Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and National Security Advisor MK Naryanan earlier in the day.

Indian officials asked the US to keep up pressure on Pakistan to bring those behind the Mumbai attacks to justice.

Holbrooke's trip to India coincided with a reports by an American daily that US intelligence officials helped India and Pakistan swap top secret intelligence in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attack.

Holbrooke and Indian officials also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and the growing influence of the Taliban.

India is involved in major reconstruction work in Afghanistan, for which it has pledged 1.2 billion dollars.

"I carry no messages. I just wanted to hear the views of India on a wide range of issues," Holbrooke was quoted as saying by IANS news agency when asked about his discussions with Mukherjee. (dpa)