Katra bus fire: Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters claim responsibility in video

Two days after a letter purportedly issued by the terror outfit ‘Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters’ claimed responsibility for the Katra bus blaze which claimed four lives, a video posted on Twitter reiterated the claim on Monday.

In a 45-second video posted on the Twitter handle ‘Sadi@sadiaMir567’ a masked man surrounded by AK-47 rifles, ammunition and grenades was seen claiming responsibility for the Katra “bus attack.”

The unidentified man claimed that the blaze was an attack on Hindutva elements and the RSS, who were trying to bring a demographic change in Kashmir.

‘Veracity of video, letter not determined ’

The video had been viewed 3,898 times at the time of filing of the report. A senior police officer said, “The video looks like a proxy. It cannot be authenticated.”

Another police officer said, “The letter and video are being investigated, but it is easy to claim anything by propaganda”.

It is being speculated that the sticky bomb may have been placed near the fuel tank of the ill-fated bus, but the NIA, which is investigating the case has not issued a conclusive statement so far. Police are awaiting a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report to know whether the fire in a passenger bus, carrying mostly devotees to the Vaishno Devi shrine, was caused due to an explosion or not, officials said. Issued by one Nadeem Choudary, who claimed to be the spokesperson of the purported terror outfit, the letter read, “In the guise of religious pilgrimage, this Hindutva regime is trying its best to change the demography of J&K. But we will sabotage their filthy propaganda at every level. This attack is linked to a series of bombings carried out by our special squad at Jammu, Udhampur and Rajouri areas. We warn the non-locals who are used as cannon fodder by this Hindutva regime not to visit the disputed territory.”