After threatening to behead Hurriyat leaders, Zakir Musa disassociates himself from Hizbul Mujahideen

The Hizbul Mujahideen commander has released a fresh audio video where he has disassociated himself from the terror outfit.

Jammu: A day after issuing a threat to separatist Hurriyat leaders over Kashmir dispute issue through an audio tape, Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Musa on Saturday released a fresh video where he has disassociated himself from the outfit. 

"If Hizbul doesn't treat me its member, I too don't represent it," Musa said adding that he stands by his earlier message. 

Earlier today, the Hizbul Mujahideen had distanced itself from the statement of its commander Musa against the separatist leadership, signalling a rift in the militant outfit which has been fighting for Jammu and Kashmir's annexation to Pakistan since 1989.

"The outfit has neither got anything to do with the statement of Musa nor the statement is acceptable to it," Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Saleem Hashmi said in a statement.

Hashmi termed Musa's remarks in the audio slideshow, that surfaced in Kashmir's social media yesterday, as his personal opinion and said that "any statement or step which will create confusion can prove a death knell for our struggle".

On Friday, in an audio tape, which went viral on social media, Musa warned Hurriyat leaders that their heads will be chopped off and hung in the Lal Chowk here for interfering in the militant group's struggle for Islam. 

"I am warning all those hypocrite Hurriyat leaders. They must not interfere in our Islamic struggle. If they do, we will cut their heads and hang them in Lal Chowk," he said. 

The clip is seen as worrying twist in Kashmir's militancy which has largely been about independence and annexation to Pakistan without ever emphasising Islam or connecting it to jihad.