The Hindu : National : Caller salutes Mumbai bombers

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Friday, Jul 14, 2006

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National

Caller salutes Mumbai bombers

Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR: A sensational call to Current News Service, a local news agency, on Thursday created ripples in the security set-up here. The caller claiming to represent `Al Qaeda Kashmir' paid tributes to those who set off the blasts in Mumbai trains on Tuesday.

The call came to the CNS office at 12.15 p.m. The voice said: "I am Abu-al-Hadeed, spokesperson of Al Qaeda Jammu and Kashmir, and Abu Abdur Rehman Ansari is our chief commander here, and soon we will make public our organisational structure and motives."

The agency said the spokesman "saluted the men who carried out the Mumbai serial blasts on Tuesday," the day when Srinagar also bled with serial grenade blasts killing nine persons, mostly tourists.

Expressing satisfaction over the Mumbai attacks, the Al Qaeda spokesperson termed the attacks as a reaction to "India's repressive measures against the minority community of Muslims." He also urged Indian Muslims to join the struggle for "complete liberation and dominance of Islam."

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir zone, S.M. Sahai said so far "we have not come across any Al Qaeda cadre in Kashmir." Asked what could be the motive behind the call, he said: "I think it is some kind of mischief."

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