Anantnag fidayeen attack executed on Pakistan's orders: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik

SRINAGAR: The Anantnag fidayeen attack that claimed the lives of five CRPF troopers on Wednesday was carried out on Pakistan's direction, said Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik.

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"Yesterday's fidayeen attack was carried out on Pakistan's directions," said Malik while speaking at an event organised by a private varsity at Srinagar's Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on Thursday. "Whenever there is peace in the Valley, Pakistan tries to deteriorate the situation by resorting to fidayeen attacks," he added.

"We conducted peaceful elections in the state. This hasn't gone down well with terrorists sitting in Pakistan. So Pakistan organised the Pulwama attack. Whenever they (Pakistan) see security forces'  in a strong position, the order comes from the across the border to carry out fidayeen attacks. This was a fidayeen attack, not a minor attack,” said the state governor. 

Lashing out at Pakistan, Malik added, "We want to tell them (Pakistan) that all this will make no difference to our intentions. We will breathe only after finishing them (terrorists).”

Fidayeen attacks are executed in the Valley on Pakistan's orders and approval, said Malik. 

Five CRPF jawans were martyred and three others critically injured, including Jammu and Kashmir Station House Officer (SHO) and a local woman, after motor-borne terrorists opened fire at a joint patrol party in Anantnag on Wednesday evening. The terrorists came on a motorcycle, hurled a grenade and then fired indiscriminately at the security forces near Oxford School in Chee Gali, close to General Bus Stand in Anantnag. Two terrorists were also shot dead by forces during the exchange of fire. Though Al-Umar Mujahideen, a defunct terror group, has claimed responsibility for the strike, officials, however, said that it was a handiwork of Jaish-e-Mohammed. 

The attack comes ahead of the annual Amarnath yatra to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, which is set to commence on July 1. Pilgrims travelling to the cave shrine have to pass through the stretch of the road where Wednesday's attack took place. 

When enquired about this, Malik said, “This wasn't an attack on the yatra because it is yet to begin. We have a foolproof security plan for this (Amarnath Yatra) and they (terrorists) will not even be allowed to flutter close to the yatris.”