“We have support and we can target any place in India, at any time,”
New Delhi: Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) Chief Syed Salahuddin was declared a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)” in a statement released by the US State Department before PM Narendra Modi’s first meeting with US President in Washington on June 26.
In a recent interview, the Chief admitted to carrying out terrorist activities in India on a national tv in Pakistan and has also threatened to do so in future according to the released statement by America.
“Till now our focus was on Indian occupation forces. All the operations that we have done or are underway, we focus only on the installations of these occupational forces,” Salahuddin said.
He admitted that he is the master mind to carry out many terrorist ‘operations’ in India and that he could target the nation to carry out attacks “at any time” and that he has many supporters in India claimed the chief.
In a statement released by the US State Department, Salauddin said “vowed to block any peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict, threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers, and vowed to turn the Kashmir Valley into a graveyard for Indian forces.”
Burhan Wani’s encounter last year in July, has triggered disturbance in the Valley with Salahuddin vowing to take down the Indian Army in Kashmir and describing Kashmir as ‘home’.
“If we would have taken our operations out of Kashmir at that time, India would get a chance to label Kashmir-e-Tehreek a terrorist organisation. We have support and we can target any place in India, at any time,” said Salahuddin during the interview adding to it, he said he purchases his weapons from International markets.
In an official statement released by the US State Department it said “Department of State has designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as (AKA) Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.”
Rejecting these charges by the US state Government he claimed to be a freedom fighter whose only motive is to free Kashmir from India but he did wow continue to keep fighting to free Kashmir saying “We are not terrorists… Our struggle is for freedom from India and it will continue till liberation of Kashmir”.
Addressing media the 71-yr-old chief said, “The US cannot provide a single example of when I and other Kashmiri fighters committed any act of terrorism”.
He added “Kashmiri freedom fighters have a code of conduct to not harm minorities, the elderly, children and women, and if sometimes the enemy offers a peace deal, we accept it.”
The Chief has also admitted responsibility various previous terrorist attacks in India and also claimed to carry out the J&K attack in April 2014 that injured 17 people, the Indian Express reported.