Army could have killed me, but saved my life: Confessions of a terrorist

A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, who was recently arrested by Baramulla police following the killing of three civilians on April 30, has said that the Army could have killed him, but instead, armymen saved his life.

In a confessional video, recorded in police custody, LeT terrorist Aijaz Gujri appealed to other terrorists “who are on wrong road” to return to their homes and families. He said in the video that those who have taken up arms have left their homes and lives.

“They have been living in jungles. I appeal to them that they should come back home to their parents, he said. Addressing another terrorist, named Nasir Amin, Gujri further said, “I am Asking Nasir Amin that his mother is very ill and he should come back.”

The LeT terrorist added that they first opened fire at the Army troop first, but the soldiers did not return the fire. “I hid myself in bushes where I was arrested, where Army could have killed me but they saved my life.”

Exposing the role of Pakistan in disturbing peace in the Valley, Gujri said, “The day I was arrested, we were told by Pakistan to create violence in the valley. We were told that Army is doing brutalities while it’s not true. It’s a conspiracy which was hatched in Pakistan.”

The security forces had arrested four terrorists and seven Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in separate raids in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla following the killing of the civilians. The raids were conducted in north Kashmir’s Old Town Baramulla and Sopore of Baramulla district. 

The four terrorists were involved in recent killing of three youths – Asif Ahmad Sheikh, Haseeb Ahmad Khan and Mohmmad Asgar, residents of Kakkar Hamam in Baramulla.

On April 30, bullet-ridden bodies of three youth in their early 20s, were recovered from Khanpora Baramulla. 

At the time, the police said that LeT militants were behind the attack. A police spokesperson said all the three persons were shot at from a very close range in Iqbal market of Old Baramulla town, killing them on the spot.

(With PTI Inputs)