Even as Pakistan gears up for elections and various political parties get ready for polls, the Pak-based terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed has directed its cadres to step up and intensify its ‘ Jihad ‘ in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Addressing a gathering at its Markaz known as Beteha Masjid in Karachi, the JeM commander, Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar claimed responsibility for the April 26 grenade attack in the Tral township of Pulwama district in J&K.
Rauf said, “During ongoing ‘Daura Tafseer’, news of JeM cadres fighting at battlefronts (in J&K) was pouring in. On April 25, JeM cadres were engaged in fighting against the enemy and were killed the day after (April 26). While their funeral processions were taken out, another JeM team launched a revenge attack to avenge the killings of its cadres on the previous day”.
Such statements by JeM from Pakistan have exposed Islamabad’s malicious designs in J&K.
Rauf motivated cadres and told them not to forget the real motive for and behind the `Jihad’. He said, “At the battlefront, there is no dearth of ‘Mujahideen’, who have been waiting in queues to enter into J&K to kill the enemy.
The Jaish-e-Mohammed has been banned in Pakistan since 2002, but it continues to train terrorists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and provides them weapons to create trouble in J&K.
Having maintained close relations with the Taliban and alQaeda, it has carried out several attacks primarily in J&K.
Rauf has asked its cadres to be mentally and physically ready to join the battlefield. “The war of ‘jihad’ is entering into an extremely dangerous phase, where enemies would be trying to eliminate Mujahideen from well inside their own locations. Time is likely to come when Mujahideen will have to take shelter in forests and plan survival strategy”.
From January to April this year, 55 terrorists have been killed by Indian security forces in the Kashmir valley. A majority of these terrorists were from Pakistan who crossed the border to create disturbance in J&K.
On several occasions, India has accused Pakistan for sheltering terrorists and providing them open space to wage ‘jihad’ in the Kashmir Valley.