News, entertainment channels go off air again in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 12 (UNI) All news and entertainment channels have yet again gone off air in the entire Kashmir valley from this morning after four militant organisations warned of a ''fidayeen (suicide)'' attack on the cable operators for resuming the services.

In a faxed statement to the local media here, Abdullah Mubarak, who identified himself as the spokesman of Al Madina Regiment, Al Badr Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen outfits, said the militant groups have decided to continue the ban on cable operations in the Valley as ''the Kashmiri youth were going astray because of this''.

He also referred to Dukhtaran-e-Millat (Daughters of Faith) Chief Asiya Andrabi's statement in which she had blamed the government agencies for the ban on cable services in order to divert the public attention from the vital issue of the recently-surfaced sex scandal.

''This does not divert the attention. Instead, this would sensitise the Kashmiri society. We request sister Asiya not to play the role of a militant spokesman and rather mind her own activities while serving the cause of Islam,'' the statement said.

The spokesman warned the cable operators of a ''fidayeen attack'' in case they resume operations on their own or at the behest of the state government.

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