Caller says Al-Qaeda has arrived in J-K

A mysterious local call made to a news agency here today reportedly claimed that Al-Qaeda had set up base in the state. International wire agencies and several Delhi-based TV channels reported the arrival of Al-Qaeda in Kashmir based on the claim made by the news agency that a man, identifying himself as the group’s spokesman, had called them to reveal this.

Current New Service, a local agency, today said they received a call from a man, claiming to be an Al- Qaeda spokesman in the state. The caller, it claimed, identified himself as Abu Hadeed and added that Al-Qaeda had opened a wing in Kashmir and its chief Abu Abdul Rehman Ansari had expressed “gratitude for the ones responsible for Mumbai blasts”.

The caller, reportedly, said that the attack was in retaliation to the atrocities against Muslims in India. Within seconds, the news was flashed by Associated Press and was picked up by scores of publications and TV channels across the world, especially those in the US.

State police were sceptical of the veracity of the caller’s claim.