By Aarti Tikoo Singh
New Delhi/Srinagar, Apr 28 (IANS): The newly formed front of the banned Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba -- The Resistance Front (TRF) -- has owned the three terrorists who were killed by Indian security forces in Kashmir on Monday.
In a statement issued by TRF commander Hamza, the group identified the three terrorists as Affan (Parvez), Anas (Asif) and Marsad (Bilal). Though the TRF statement didn't say how and where they were killed, sources said the TRF's reference was about the three unidentified terrorists who were killed in an anti-terror operation of the security forces in Lower Munda area of Qazigund in Kulgam district on Monday.
Hamza issued the statement on TRF letterhead which has a green masthead with a logo of swords. Lamenting about the killing of the three terrorists, Hamza consoled himself by describing it as "martyrdom in this holy month of Ramadhan."
"By the lord of Kaaba it is indeed a great success to achieve martyrdom while fighting," the statement said, adding, "May Allah the almighty accept this supreme sacrifice of our brothers."
Hamza said, "our hearts are pained, but we also remember that everyone who comes to this world has to leave it one day."
TRF has been created by ISI to give Pakistan's cross-border terrorism in Kashmir a more 'home-grown terror' character because of the pressure from Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog for terror-funding.
Indian investigating agencies had established the existence of TRF in Kashmir last month when security forces busted a major module of the group by arresting six of its members with a huge cache of arms and ammunition.
Four of the TRF terrorists were caught at the Sopore district hospital during the delivery of an illegal consignment of arms.
During interrogation, the terrorists revealed that they had been working under a Pakistan-based person known by the name 'Andrew Jones' on Telegram, whose WhatsApp ID was 'Khan Bilal'. They also divulged that Jones was operating a newly-formed terrorist organisation, TRF.
'Jones' had deputed the four militants to recruit local youth for the terror group and instigate them to participate in terror activities in Kashmir Valley, particularly in the north. Investigators have linked TRF to the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, headed by Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.