Militant group Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) has warned of fresh attacks on security forces and Jammu and Kashmir police in a new video, which has gone viral on social networking sites.
The video shows HM commander Burhan Wani warning of fresh attacks on security forces, police personnel and separate establishments for Kashmiri Pandits.
The video comes at a time when the political atmosphere of the valley is charged up with the main opposition party National Conference and separatist parties Hurriyat Conference up in arms against the proposed establishment of Sainik Colonies (for housing security forces and their families).
The PDP-BJP government in the state has also mulled to establish separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits, which has also been opposed by various political parties and civil society groups.
Wani said in the video that Hindus (Kashmiri Pandits) who wish to live in their original homes are welcome and that HM will provide them security. However, any move aimed to settle Pandits separately in Kashmir would be dealt with force, he added.
"The Hindus (Pandits), who are outside, can live at their own places where they have their houses and land and they will find us as their guardians. The separate colonies, which India is planning on the lines of Israel, are not acceptable and we will attack those separate colonies," Wani warned, according to the Press Trust of India.
The HM Commander said that his group would increase attacks in valley if the government goes ahead with such a move.
Kashmir, over past few weeks, has witnessed a surge in attacks on security forces and local police personnel resulting in many deaths.
Wani said that despite the warnings of his group to the police against harassment of local youth, the Police continued to do so.
"We had warned them last year as well to not take any action against us, but they did not pay heed to it and they continued to act against us and harassed our youth. Now, there will be no warning to anyone and every uniformed man will be attacked," he said in the video according to PTI.
Wani, however, said that HM would not target pilgrims who would participate in the upcoming Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir.
"Recently, a BSF officer had said that we have plans for attacking Amarnath Yatra, which is totally wrong. We have no plans to target Yatris nor will we attack them. They are performing their religious duties here and we have nothing to do with that," he added.
