After Naikoo killing Salahuddin’s video surfaces in Kashmir

JAMMU: Days after security forces eliminated terror group Hizbul Mujahideen’s Kashmir chief Riyaz Naikoo in a joint operation, a video of the chief of United Jihad Council (UJC) Syed Salahuddin has gone viral wherein he was ‘stunned’ over losses being inflicted upon various militant outfits in Kashmir by the security forces.

Salahuddin is a self-styled ‘supreme commander’ of the Hizbul-mujahideen who also heads the alliance of pro-pakistan terrorist groups, called the United Jihad Council.

In the 52 second video shared by Vinod Pandit on Facebook, Syed Salahuddin was seen addressing a thinly attended condolence meet somewhere in Pakistan.

Speaking the Urdu language in Kashmiri accent, he could be heard saying, “It’s a shock for all of us (killing of Riyaz Naikoo) but these ‘Shahadats’ (sacrifices) are going on in Kashmir since long. Since January this year to date, 80 Mujahideens (terrorists) have given their ‘Shahadat’ (eliminated by the security forces) and all of them were highly educated and trained.”

He continued, “Mujahideens (terrorists) also broke the back of enemy (security forces) in Handwara Rajwar recently but the enemy (India) has the upper edge.”

Hindustan Times, however, could not vouch for the veracity of the video.

A day after security forces eliminated Naikoo in a joint operation, Salahuddin had said the sacrifice would help them achieve the mission that they had set out to achieve.

Naikoo along with his associate Adil Ahmed was killed in an operation carried out by Jammu and Kashmir police and troopers from the 21 Rashtriya Rifles.

A top army officer said that despite losing eight men in two encounters recently in Handwara, security forces have maintained constant pressure on the militants across Kashmir.

We are already into hot pursuit mode, he added.