Monitor News Bureau
Srinagar, Feb 14: Minutes after the deadly suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Lethpora area of Pulwama, Jaish-e-Mohammad, the militant outfit which claimed responsibility for the attack, released a video of the militant believed to have carried out the fidayeen strike.
At least, 30 CRPF personnel were killed and over two dozens injured when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into a CRPF convoy in Lethpora area of Pulwama district on Thursday.
Adil alias Waqas of Kakapora in south Kashmir can be seen in the video, sitting in the backdrop of the Jaish flag, brandishing several sophisticated automatic rifles, starting the video by saying: “By the time this video reaches you, I will be in heaven, I have spent one year as a militant with JeM and this is my last message for the people of Kashmir.”
Waqas goes on to boast about the attacks carried out by Jaish in the past–ICA18 hijacking, 2001 Parliament attack, Nagrota attack, Uri attack, and Pathankot IAF base attack.
He also sends “a message for North Kashmir”, saying that people in south Kashmir have been fighting against India and that it was now time for people from north and central Kashmir as well as Jammu to join them.
“By killing few of our militant commanders, you can’t weaken us,” the suicide bomber says in the video. He also mentions the recent sniper and IED attacks against government forces in Kashmir.
Reports quoting police sources say Adil Hussain Dar, from Gundibagh, Pulwama, went missing on March 19, 2016 along with two other friends, Tauseef and Waseem.
Tauseef’s elder brother Manzoor Ahmad Dar was a militant who was killed in 2016. Adil was a dropout from school and was working as a mason. He also led prayers in local mosque. He has two brothers.
Earlier, militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), in a statement claimed the responsibility of the fidayeen attack.
A JeM spokesperson Muhammad Hassan in a statement to news agency GNS said: “dozens of forces’ vehicles were destroyed in the attack”.
The spokesperson identified the driver (of JeM), who carried out the fidayeen attack, as Aadil Ahmad alias ‘Waqas Commando’ of Gundi Bagh, Pulwama.
