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  India   All India  20 Dec 2016  JeM chief Azhar claims Nagrota attack that killed 7 soldiers

JeM chief Azhar claims Nagrota attack that killed 7 soldiers

THE ASIAN AGE
Published : Dec 20, 2016, 11:27 am IST
Updated : Dec 20, 2016, 11:30 am IST

His claims came a day after the National Investigation Agency, in its chargesheet, held Azhar responsible for the Pathankot terror attack.

Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar. (Photo: AP)
 Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar on Tuesday claimed the responsibility for the November 29 attack on Indian Air Force base in Nagrota, Jammu & Kashmir, in which seven soldiers were killed.

His claims came a day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its chargesheet, held Azhar responsible for the Pathankot terror attack.

According to a report in DNA, Maulana Masood Azhar continues to freely run the terror group's online publication and brazenly claim responsibility for last month's attack on another military camp in Nagrota from Pakistan.

"This week's publication was delayed as the attack in Nagrota was still in action at the time of writing and communication failure (on details of the attack) from Kashmir,'' Azhar wrote under his pen name Saadi. On November 29, three militants entered the army camp in Nagrota killing 7 Indian security forces. They left behind a message saying it was revenge for the hanging of Afzal Guru.

Elaborating on the attack in the 'heart of the Northern Command of the Indian Army', Azhar says the attack was carried by the Afzal Guru squad involving five militants and two of them managed to escape to safety. "There were three security cordons around the camp... it is not easy and inexpensive to gain entry and set the stage for the attack."

He indicates that the squad was helped by people with close knowledge on the geography of the camp and its frequent visitors, because strange men walking around could have roused the immediate suspicions of Indian security forces.

Azhar says the demonetization of high currency denominations has not deterred the ‘Kashmiri mujahideens’ nor impacted militancy funding. He goes on to make the claim that the ‘money changers and industrialists’ were aware of demonetization before its public announcement by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Kashmiri Mujahideen, Maoists and Khalistan fighters will not suffer any financial hardship,” Azhar claims.

The JeM chief then writes in the publication that India is paying for the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, both of which could have been avoided.

The Indian government is desperately trying to include Azhar on the UN Security Council's 1267 sanctions list, but its endeavours have repeatedly been blocked by China, which is a permanent member of the UNSC

Tags: pathankot attack, nagrota attack, masood azhar
Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi