In a video message circulating on social media, a militant, claiming to be from Lashkar e Toiba militant outfit, threatens to kill three political leaders – Sajad Gani Lone, Abdul Majeed Padder and Yasir Reshi, of Jammu and Kashmir, “for trying to create a new Ikhwan.”

Sajad Gani Lone is the chairman of People’s Conference party, which was part of the previous coalition state government with the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). Abdul Majeed Padder and Yasir Reshi both are the members of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but had rebelled against the party after the BJP pulled out of the coalition government in June.

A top official from security agencies, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the militant in the video is Masroor Ahmad Bhat from Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, who joined in May this year.

Carrying a gun in his lap, the militant says that in Kashmir atmosphere is being made, “a few people like Abdul Majeed Padroo [Padder], Sajad Gani Lone and Yasir Reshi Sonawari – these three dirty people are such that they are planning to create new Ikhwan [counter insurgent force] here to make Kashmiris fight with each other.”

Claiming to be from the Lashkar e Toiba militant outfit, the speaker adds that “we are warning these three people that if they try to create new Ikhwan here that we will punish them such that the whole world will watch.”

In a 4:24 minute long video, he adds, “I am warning you that we will kill you and your families, we will wipe you off. They are trying to do it to weaken militancy and the religion, by creating infighting, but we won’t let that happen. This is the last warning by Lashkar e Toiba.”

However, there has been no statement regarding this video by the Lashkar e Toiba outfit so far.

23 Aug 18/Thursday.              Written by Afsana