An audio message celebrating the terrorist assault on Pathankot airbase has been posted on a website linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed, which India has blamed for the attack.
The thirteen-minute message — posted on alqalamonline.com, the website of JeM’s weekly magazine Al Qalam — stopped short of claiming responsibility for the attack and criticised the Pakistan government for “bowing before” allegations made by India.
India has sought “prompt and decisive action” against the perpetrators of the Pathankot attack, saying it has provided Pakistan “actionable intelligence” in this regard.
The message, read out by an unidentified man, claimed “four mujahideen” entered the Pathankot airbase at 3am on Saturday and fought for 48 hours against “tanks, armoured vehicles and helicopters”.
It also eulogised Afzal Guru, who was convicted and executed for his role in the 2001 attack on India’s parliament, saying the attack was part of the “jihadi empire” created by his death.
The attackers in Pathankot had told a hostage that they intended to attack the airbase to avenge the hanging of Afzal Guru. Terrorists who attacked the Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif at around the same time scribbled a message in blood that the assault was “revenge for Afzal Guru” before they were killed.
The message posted on the website also referred to the confusion about the number of attackers at Pathankot and made disparaging mentions of some of the Indian security personnel who were killed, including Lt Col EK Niranjan of the National Security Guard and Fateh Singh.
{{/usCountry}}The message posted on the website also referred to the confusion about the number of attackers at Pathankot and made disparaging mentions of some of the Indian security personnel who were killed, including Lt Col EK Niranjan of the National Security Guard and Fateh Singh.
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