New Delhi: Al Qaeda terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri has released a message targeting India and inciting the people of Kashmir against the country.

In his latest message titled “Don’t Forget Kashmir,” which is transcribed in both Arabic and English, he has lauded those spreading terror in the troubled Indian state.

Al Qaeda’s media arm, As Sahab, has released the message with the picture of terrorist Zakir Musa. The intent apparently is to gain support of terrorists in Kashmir and to extend assistance to them for further carrying out terror activities.

However, in his message Zawahiri has criticised the neighbouring country Pakistan in the message.

Addressing the terrorists as Jehadi-Mujahideen Zawahiri has alerted them against Pakistan and has said that they must liberate the “Kashmiri jihad” from the clutches of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.

In the message Zawahiri says that he is of the view that the “Mujahideen in Kashmir”- at this stage- should single-mindedly focus on inflicting unrelenting blows on the Indian Army and government, to make the economy of the country “bleed” and make India suffer sustained losses in manpower and equipment.”

He emphasised that the terrorists should make their own policies as per Sharia and avoid falling in traps of Pakistan.

Al Qaeda has been preparing an upstart group to wage jihad against Indian forces in Kashmir.

Reacting to this, defence expert GD Bakshi told ABP News that Pakistan is under immense international pressure; its economy is already dwindling. Pakistan’s ISI is using Zawahiri as a pawn to show to the world that it is not supporting terrorism. ISI had also used Osama Bin laden for the same purpose.

He said: “We need to be on guard. Time to take very strict action against terrorists in kashmir has come. Action also needs to be taken against stone-pelters.”