Police on Tuesday blamed Lashkar-e-Toiba for killing seven Amarnath pilgrims in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a charge denied by the militant outfit.
Kashmir police chief Munir Khan told reporters here that there were credible inputs that the LeT outfit was responsible for the attack that also left 19 pilgrims injured in the attack on Monday evening.
The officer said security for the ongoing pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine has been beefed up.
LeT spokesman Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi said in a statement, issued to news agency GNS, called the attack on Amarnath pilgrims as “highly reprehensible act.”
“Islam does not allow violence against any faith. We strongly condemn such acts,” he said.
Ghaznavi said that Kashmiris have never targeted any pilgrim. ““this barbarity and atrocity is trademark of Indian forces,” he said.
“India wants to sabotage the freedom struggle of Kashmiris, therefore it uses such attacks to full fill its nefarious agenda.”
“At times, India uses hindus of Uttar Pradesh to hide its terror face, and when it fails, they use false flag attacks against Amarnath Yatris,” he claimed.
“Ajit Doval is frustrated due to his failed policies, therefore he has turned to such dastardly acts. India wants to pave way for its anti-Kashmir policies by using such acts but, it is bound to fail like in past. May Allah be our protector and guide,” added Ghaznavi.
The dead were from Gujarat and their bodies were flown home on Tuesday morning.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and other senior ruling PDP-BJP leaders and senior civil and police officers laid wreaths on their bodies before they were flown to Gujarat.
