Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin claims responsibility for Handwara attack, says 'India has upper hand' — Video

Almost five days after the encounter operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara that claimed lives of five security personnel including a decorate officer, the Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen, headed by Syed Salahuddin, has reportedly claimed the responsibility.

PTI photo

New Delhi: Almost five days after the encounter operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara that claimed lives of five security personnel including a decorated officer, the Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen, headed by Syed Salahuddin, claimed the responsibility, reports ANI.

In a video clip shared by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, Syed Salahudeen is seen addressing a thin gathering somewhere in Pakistan on the recent counter-insurgency operations carried out by its terrorists in Handwara. He is also seen admitting that the Indian Army has the upper hand in the clip.

"It's a shock (Riyaz Naikoo's killing) for all of us but these sacrifices have been going on in Kashmir since long," he could be heard speaking in Urdu. He also claimed responsibility of the recent gunbattle between terrorists and security forces in Handwara. "Mujahideens broke the back of enemy (Indian Army) in Handwara Rajwara but the enemy has an upper hand," he stated in thee 52-second long clip.

He can also be heard stating that since January, 80 Mujahideens (terrorists) have been neutralised by Indian forces.

_______ _________ __ ______ ________ Sayeed Salahudeen __ _____ _____ ___ __ ...__ __ ___ ___ __ __ ______(____) __ _____ ____ __!
__ ____ __ _____ pic.twitter.com/CXnBu5fV7I — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) May 9, 2020

Syed Salahudeen's statement on Kashmir comes days after the Handwara encounter and elimination of top Hizbul commander Riyaz Naikoo and his close aide Adil Ahmed by Jammu and Kashmir Police and 21 RR troops. 

The encounter in Handwara in Kupwara district claimed lives of Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj Sood, Naik Rajesh and Lance Naik Dinesh, all from the Brigade of the Guards regiment, and at present part of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles and deployed to counter terrorism in the hinterland. A Jammu and Kashmir Police Sub-Inspector, Sageer Ahmad Pathan alias Qazi, also fell victim to the bullets of terrorists. 

The Handwara attack is being seen as the biggest loss of security forces in recent years.

Giving details of the encounter at a village in Rajwar forests, officials said that on the May 2 afternoon, intelligence inputs indicated the presence of the same group of terrorists inside a house at Changimulla village, prompting Col Sharma to launch a cordon-and-search operation along with his team and Qazi.

After a considerable lull, Col Sharma and four other personnel barged into a house from an adjacent cowshed presuming that the terrorists had been eliminated in the heavy gunfire.

According to the officials, the team came under heavy fire after rescuing the civilians and all communication link with Col Sharma and his team were snapped. Calls made on the mobile numbers of the team were answered by terrorists.

The Army then rushed in para-troopers, who after ascertaining that the Army officer and his team were killed in the encounter, launched an offensive by the first light of the day and killed the two terrorists.