November 30, 2008	Sunday	Zilhaj 1, 1429

MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 29: A leader of militant groups in Azad Kashmir called the slaughter of civilians in Mumbai ‘reprehensible,’ and denied that any member of his alliance was involved.

Sayed Salahuddin heads the United Jihad Council, an umbrella organisation banding together around a dozen Kashmiri groups.

Suspicion has fallen on non-member Lashkar-i-Taiba which is fighting against Indian occupation of Kashmir. But, it has denied involvement in the Mumbai attacks. “Let me be very clear once again that the United Jihad Council does not approve of civilian killings and under its code of conduct such an act is reprehensible,” he said.

“I can say with utmost certainty that none of Kashmiri jihadi groups has any involvement with the events in Mumbai,” he said.

Salahuddin, whose own group is Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, said the attacks in Mumbai were probably carried out by an Indian group in response to the oppression of minorities, including Muslims.—Reuters