Amarnath Yatris are guests, not targets: Hizbul commander

SRINAGAR: The Hizbul Mujahideen militant group has assures that the pilgrims going to the Amarnath Yatra have nothing to fear as the Yatris who visit Kashmir only to fulfil their religious duties are guests and not their targets.

The 15-minute clip circulated through social media, carried Hizbul’s operational commander Riyaz Naikoo said: “Amarnath Yatra is not our target. They (pilgrims) come here to perform their religious rituals. They are our guests.”

He also termed as baseless the statement of state police chief who has said that militants are planning to attack the Amarnath pilgrims.

“We have never attacked Amarnath pilgrims.

“We are not at war with the Yatris, we at war with those who forced us to pick up the gun. We are fighting for our rights and our freedom.

“Our war is against the Indian state and not against the people of India,” said Naikoo in the clip.

IANS inputs