'Shouldn't Take Such Threats Seriously': Centre Dismisses Al-Qaeda's Threats to Army in Kashmir

New Delhi: The central government on Thursday dismissed threats issued by Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri who has asked the “Mujahideen in Kashmir” to inflict “unrelenting blows” on the Indian Army and the government in Jammu and Kashmir

The Ministry of External Affairs' statement came a day after the terror group’s media wing released a video in which Zawahiri is heard calling for "jihad" in Kashmir.

"We keep hearing threats like these, and I believe we shouldn't be taking it very seriously. Al Qaeda is a UN-prescribed terror organisation and their leader is UN-designated terrorist. Our security forces are well equipped and quite capable of safeguarding our sovereignty and territorial integrity," news agency ANI quoted MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar as saying at a press briefing in New Delhi.

In the 14-minute speech, Zawahiri also brought to light Pakistan’s involvement in fuelling cross-border terrorism in Kashmir in a message titled “Don't Forget Kashmir”. Zawahiri hails from Egypt and the United States has announced a reward of $25 million for information leading to his arrest or death. He had taken over the reins of al-Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden.

In the video, he is heard saying, "I am of the view that the Mujahideen (armed terrorists) in Kashmir — at this stage at least — should focus with single mind on inflicting unrelenting blows on the Indian Army and government so as to bleed the Indian economy and make India suffer sustained losses in manpower and equipment."

Calling both the Pakistani Army and the government “toadies of America”, Zawahiri compared Pakistan's policy on Kashmir to that of the Taliban and migrant terrorists.

The video was posted on 'As-Sahab' channel, an in-house production of the al-Qaeda used to relay the organisation's views to the world, also asked the terrorists "to establish stronger channels of communication with their Muslim brethren all over the world".

The video has been checked by security agencies who believed it was an attempt to unite the disgruntled terrorist ranks in the valley, officials said.