Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin admits to carrying out terror attacks in India, says 'can target any place in India, at anytime'

The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, designated global terrorist, has reportedly admitted on a Pakistan TV channel that he carried out terrorist attacks on Indian soil. 

Speaking during an interview on Pakistani news channel Geo TV, Salahuddin asserted that he has many supporters in India. Salahuddin admitted to purchasing weapons from international markets, adding that he has the capacity to deliver weapons at any place if he is paid for it, a report said. 

"Till now our focus was on Indian occupation forces. All the operations that we have done or are underway, we focus only on the installations of these occupational forces," Salahuddin said in an interview with Geo TV.

Asserting that Kashmir was his home, the Hizbul chief stated that the Valley was witnessing an uprising since the killing of Burhan Wani.

Informing that he carried out many operations in India, Salahuddin stated that the international scenario changed after 9/11.

"If we would have taken our operations out of Kashmir at that time, India would get a chance to label Kashmir-e-Tehreek a terrorist organization. We have support and we can target any place in India, at anytime," he said.

United States put Salahuddin in the 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' list after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Donald Trump during India-US Summit in Washington late last month. 

Pakistan slammed the decision and said that 'US'designation of the individuals supporting the right of “self-determination” of Kashmiris as terrorists as completely unjustified'.

“Pakistan shall continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support for the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for the realisation of the right to self-determination and the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions,” the Foreign Ministry said in Islamabad in a statement.

“The designation of individuals supporting the Kashmiri right to self-determination as terrorists is completely unjustified,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement without naming Salahuddin.

The “70-year long indigenous struggle of Kashmiris remains legitimate,” the spokesperson claimed.

Hizbul Mujahideen chief Mohammad Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, who was on Tuesday declared a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' by the United States, is wanted in over 50 terror cases in India, including Jammu and Kashmir, reports said on Wednesday. The cases include hawala funding, assassination, abduction and attacks on security forces.

Investigating agencies have filed charge sheets in some cases, while the probe is still on in few others. Since Salahuddin has been absconding, little headway has been made in these cases.

The 71-year-old politician-turned-terrorist leader is based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) since 1993. He is also the head of the United Jihad Council, an umbrella group of over a dozen terrorist outfits based in PoK. In 2013, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had declared him as a proclaimed offender in a Rs 80 crore terror funding case. Also, an Interpol Red Notice is pending against Salahuddin.

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