Srinagar
Hizb supreme commander, Syed Salahuddin Saturday denounced his designation as a “terrorist” by the United States, vowing to continue his armed fight against Indian rule over Kashmir, reports said.
Salahuddin called the decision by US President Donald Trump’s administration “idiotic”, saying it was a gift to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was visiting Washington on Monday, the day Salahuddin was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
“They cannot quote a single incident to prove that we are terrorists,” Salahuddin told a news conference in Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistani portion of Kashmir, where he has been based for some 25 years as leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest Kashmiri militant group.
“This idiocy can neither weaken our courage, nor stop the freedom struggle and the target-oriented actions of freedom fighters,” he added, saying his fighters’ attacks were on legitimate military targets as opposed to civilians.
As per reports gun-wielding Hizbul members wearing fatigues escorted his vehicle to the news conference venue in Muzaffarabad.
