Hizb threatens J&K with more Pulwama-type hits

Srinagar/New Delhi: Kashmiri militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has warned of more Pulwama-type attacks on the security forces by young local Kashmiris as it has become “a do-or-die situation” for them. On February 14, a 22-year-old Kashmiri, Adil Ahmed Dar alias “Waqas Commando”, detonated a sedan laden with at least 60 kg of deadly RDX after driving it parallel to a fully-occupied bus that was part of a large CRPF convoy at Lethapora on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. As many as 49 CRPF personnel were killed and several others injured in the suicide attack, for which terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility.

The Hizb, the main indigenous militant outfit, has so far stay-ed away from carrying out suicide attacks, that are often referred to as “fidayeen” (devotional) attacks by separatists. It is mainly the JeM and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba which have been involved in such attacks in Kashmir.

But now the Hizb too has threatened to carry out such attacks. The outfit’s “operational commander”, Reyaz A. Naikoo, in a 17-minute audio which surfaced on the social media on Tuesday, said: “We will keep on sacrificing our lives. We prefer to die than surrender. The day is not far when our 15-year-old children will strap explosives on their bodies and barge into your Army vehicles.” He added: “We prefer death over slavery... Whatever is happening in Kashmir was the result of atrocities committed by India on the people. India has failed to fulfil its commitments to the people of Kashmir”.

In the audio, Naikoo is also heard saying: “You will have to cry till the time you are here. The coffins of your soldiers will continue to fill till your army is here. We are ready to die but won’t allow you to live as well.” He claims freedom is a “passion” for Kashmiri youths, and says the person responsible for the February 14 attack was a local Kashmiri and the “atrocities” committed on him by the Army had forced him to carry out the attack. “No power in the world can stop these types of attacks,” he added.

In New Delhi, meanwhile, the Centre made it clear that it will not submit any evidence to Pakistan on the role of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in the Pulwama terror strike, but give all such facts to “friendly nations” to “unmask” the role of elements based in Pakistan in the attack, a senior official said. “There is no question of giving any evidence to Pakistan. Rather, we will share them with friendly countries to expose the role of Pakistan-based elements in Pulwama and other terror attacks on Indian soil,” the official said. Pakistan PM Imran Khan had said on Tuesday that he would act against the perpetrators of the Pulwama attack if India shares “actionable intelligence” with Islamabad.

In Jammu, former J&K chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that the proof of Pakistani involvement in the February 14 attack in Pulwama should be given to Islamabad as sought by Imran Khan “to see what they do”. She said: “No doubt the Pathankot dossier was given to them but no action was taken. They didn’t act on Mumbai attacks either. But Prime Minister Imran Khan deserves a chance as he has recently taken over and talks about a new start,” she told reporters in Jammu.