India, Russia deny J&K mediation offer
‘Will free Kashmir from Indian yoke’, says Al-Umar Mujahedin head
New Delhi: India dismissed Pakistan’s reported claim that Russia had offered to mediate between the two countries on the Kashmir issue. Russian diplomatic sources too denied that Moscow had issued any such offer of mediation.
The Kashmir Valley witnessed a series of grenade attacks at the camps and foot patrols of security forces during the past few days, leaving more than a dozen personnel injured. Following the attacks, the security forces, particularly the CRPF and the J&K police, have been put on high alert “to avert such attacks or, at least, minimise casualties if these do take place in future”.
The terror strikes were reminiscent of the militant pursuits witnessed during the heyday of urban insurgency in the Valley, and the man who claimed responsibility for these is Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, the most feared militant commander then. “We, together with Jaish-eMuhammad, carried out these attacks. We plan more such and similar attacks as we strongly believe in armed struggle being the only option left to free our Kashmir from the Indian yoke,” he told this newspaper by telephone.
Zargar, a resident of central Srinagar, heads Al-Umar Mujahedin group. He was provided safe passage to Pakistan after he was released, along with Moulana Masood Azhar and Omar Saeed Sheikh, in order to free the passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC814 at Kandahar, Afghanistan, in December 1999.
Azhar and Zargar became closer to each other in jail after the latter’s arrest on May 15, 1992. Azhar was already in jail and reportedly promised Zargar that he would ensure he too is freed with him “if the plan to get me out of here is executed successfully”.
“I’m Mushtaq Zargar, the Al-Umar Mujahedin chief. I’m in Doda (a district in eastern Jammu region) and am speaking to you on behalf of my organisation and Jaish-eMuhammad. We together carried out the attacks and we do plan more such and similar strikes for we strongly believe India understands only the language of violence. The musallah jadujuhad (armed struggle) is the only way out as it alone can drive the occupying forces out and free our Kashmir from the Indian yoke,” he said.