Kashmiri fighters aided by Hindu, Sikh, Muslim officers attacked Pathankot air base: UJC

The United Jehad Council (UJC), which claimed the Pathankot air base attack, has said that all the attackers were residents of Jammu and Kashmir and that local Hindu, Sikh and Muslim officers facilitated the assault.

The attack on the airbase was in line with the ‘code of conduct’ of Kashmiri fighters, Dawn.com reported.

“We have not hit any civilian but a military installation. Indian troops are killing us and wherever we find any of them we will hit and kill him,” said Shaikh Jameelur Rehman, secretary general of the United Jihad Council (UJC).

“All attackers are local Kashmiris, based in India-held Jammu and Kashmir. And they have been facilitated by local Hindu, Sikh and Muslim officers."

He rejected reports that the attack had been carried out by Jaish-i-Mohammad, a banned militant outfit blamed for the 2001 attack on Indian parliament.

“It’s just a false impression. In fact the attackers are a squad of mujahideen drawn from different member outfits in our alliance,” said Rehman.

He said that since the attackers were stationed in areas along the national highway in India, they were referred to as `National Highway Squad’.

Mufti Asghar Kashmiri, in-charge of Jaish-i-Mohammad in Jammu and Kashmir, told the newspaper: “Those who have carried it (attack) out have also claimed the responsibility for that…That’s all.”