Pakistanis attacked AIR building: Police

The Inspector General of Kashmir range, K Rajendran, has said the three terrorists, who were killed when they attacked the Radio Kashmir building in Srinagar on Saturday, were Pakistanis.

One Mushtaq Latram, who had floated a terrorist outfit by the name Al Umar, had masterminded the attack, he said.

"There have been series of attacks in the last couple of days in the valley. These attacks are desperate attempt by the militants to whip up violence because a large number of political parties are meeting government interlocutor N N Vohra," he told rediff.com on phone from his residence in Srinagar.

"A new outfit by the name of Al Madina has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the AIR office and the Bandipora paramilitary post on Friday. The names of the terrorists given by the Al Madina are not Kashmiri. We are investigating the matter. So far no local has come up to claim the bodies of the killed fidayeens."

He said two constables of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Border Security Force had lost their lives in the encounter with the terrorists and three were injured.

The terrorists had also tried to kill Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Muzaffar Beig when he was in Baramulla recently.

"The finance minister has been high on the terrorist list. He had gone to inaugurate a bank in Azadbasti in district Baramulla when the terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device," he said.

"An attempt is being made to project that it is the local Kashmiris who are fighting the Indian security forces. Pakistan is sending jihadis across the Line of Control to give a boost to terrorist activities. When the All Parties Hurriyat Conference declined to meet Vohra, it had sent a clear signal to the terrorists that they were free to do what they wanted," he added.

He said that the paramilitary forces had been trained to repulse any attack on government installations.

"We did not allow the fidayeens to get into the premises and they were killed right outside the AIR building. We first take the impact of the attack and then eliminate the terrorists," he added.