Don't communalise martyrs: Army's Northern Command chief tells Owaisi

Lt. Gen Gen. Anbu's rebuttal came a day after Owaisi had slammed those questioning the patriotism of Muslims

The Indian Army on Wednesday indirectly rejected claims made by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi over the terror attack at the Sunjuwan army camp, saying the army does not communalise when it comes to the death of its soldiers.

"We don't communalise martyrs, those making statements (Owaisi) don't know the Army well," Lt. Gen. Devraj Anbu, the Northern Army commander, said at a press conference in New Delhi.

"Enemy is frustrated and is trying softer targets. Yes, the youth joining terrorism is a concern, we need to address this trend. In 2017, we focused on leadership and eliminated it," he added while flagging the concern about youth joining terrorist outfits.

Lt. Gen. Anbu's rebuttal came a day after Owaisi had slammed those questioning the patriotism of Muslims, while making a reference to the fact that five army soldiers killed by terrorists at the Sunjuwan army camp were Kashmiri Muslims.

Owaisi's comment invited immediate and widespread condemnation.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Anbu warned that anyone who picks up arms against the state will be dealt with sternly.

"All three groups - Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed or Lashkar-e-Toiba - are hands in glove, whether it's in Valley or here (Jammu). There's no differentiation, they keep jumping from one tanzim to other. Anyone who picks up an arm and is against the state, is a terrorist and we'll deal with him," the senior army officer said.

"Social media is also responsible for increase in terror activities. It is engaging the youth at a large scale, and I think we need to focus on this issue," he added.