“Analysts have questioned the delay between the attack and the statement to claim responsibility.”
Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR: The Hizbul Mujahideen militant group has claimed responsibility for the killing of five Indian soldiers at the Line of Control, an incident that threatened ties between India and Pakistan.
India had blamed the Pakistani military for the killings which took place on August 6.
The statement is a likely breather for the Indian government, under pressure from the main opposition Bhartiya Janta Party to snap ties with its neighbouring country.
The attack also triggered a series of tit-for-tat clashes, sometimes artillery duels, which killed and wounded soldiers on either side.
More to it?
The Hizb’s chief commander, Syed Salahuddin, who also heads the United Jehad Council – an alliance of militant groups based in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan – admitted to the killings in a telephonic interview to a local news agency, KNS.
“If India blames Pakistan Army for the killing of five soldiers in Poonch sector, let me clear them that Hizubul Mujahideen’s Sarhadi (border) squad killed them under a specific strategy (sic),” Salahuddin said.
But analysts have questioned the delay between the attack and the statement claiming responsibility -17 days.
More so, they have pointed out that Salahuddin’s usage of words – (If India blames Pakistan) – suggest that the motive behind this interview was more than just to claim responsibility.
Will BJP tone down?
The recent killings jeopardised the resumption of peace talks between India and Pakistan, stalled after an earlier series of border clashes in January this year.
Such was the furore over the attack that the BJP forced the Indian Defence Minister to roll back a statement in which he said that only militants, in Pakistani military uniform, were involved. They said the minister’s statement absolved the Pakistani military of all responsibility for the killings.
Many quarters in India also want the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to cancel talks with Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharief scheduled next month.
It is not clear if Salahuddin’s claiming of responsibility will help tone down the BJP, but observers say it will be of use to the ruling Congress.”
“Now they can tell the BJP that it was not the Pakistani army with confidence,” said a senior journalist.
“And apparently a reason not to call off the PM meeting.”
