Headlines
Al Qaeda operative in video our son: Kashmir family
Srinagar, Nov 22 A family in south Kashmir has
confirmed that the Al Qaeda operative killed in a US drone attack in
Pakistan's north Waziristan earlier this year was their son.
According
to a family of Nagam village in Anantnag district, the Al Qaeda
operative shown in a video released by the publicity wing of the terror
organisation, is their son Muhammad Ashraf Dar.
Talking to
reporters, Dar's brother, Nazir Ahmad on Saturday said that the video
released last week by 'As-Sahab', media arm of Al Qaeda branch of Indian
sub-continent (AQIS) showed his brother Muhammad Ashraf.
The Al
Qaeda operative was killed on January 5, 2015 in a US drone attack in
north Waziristan and the terror group later released the video showing
Ashraf Dar speaking to others in the group to eulogize the slain
operatives.
The video had said that the recruit belonged to 'Islamabad area of Kashmir'.
South Kashmir's Anantnag district is also called 'Islamabad district' in Kashmir Valley.
A
few days back, police had approached the family to show the video that
featured their son, Ashraf Dar's father Gulam Ahmad Dar said.
The
family confirmed that Dar, then 15-year-old, had crossed over to
Pakistan administered part of Kashmir in 2001 to acquire training in
firearms as a Hizbul Mujahideen cadre.
"He used to speak to us on phone till December 2014 asking about the family welfare," Dar's brother has confirmed.
Police here are, however, tight-lipped about the developments.
"Yes,
there is resemblance with the local youth in the video, but we do not
have enough evidence to confirm that the Al Qaeda operative shown in the
video is the missing youth from Anantnag district," a senior police
officer told IANS here.