A written statement and video compact disc that was delivered to a local news agency on Friday afternoon by 'Al-Qaeda India' has announced waging of a 'Jihad' (Holy war) against India.

Home Ministry sources in Delhi said it was highly unlikely that Al Qaeda [Images] could have engaged in the circulation of the CD and it was possible that Lashker-e-Tayiba could be behind it to "boost the morale of its demoralised cadres".

J-K Police top brass maintained that the veracity of the CD was being verified, but they were taking no chances and have begun investigations into the matter.

A masked person shown in the compact disc claimed to be Abu Abrahim Al Asim who read the statement on behalf of Abu Abdul Rehman Al Ansari, chief of the Al-Qaeda in India.

Quoting verses from the Holy Quran, the speaker said, 'America was trying to equip India with sophisticated arms and nuclear capability and Allah had already warned the Muslims against this unholy nexus among the infidels against the Muslims.

'America, Israel and other western nations in collaboration with India were trying to divide Kashmir to gain hegemony in the region and set up military bases in this region. We declare Jihad against India. Jammu and Kashmir shall be the gateway for such a Jihad.'

The speaker saluted holy warriors who he claimed had taken the Muslims out of the depths of deprivation and depression by waging Allah's war to dissolve the global borders in order to establish Allah's domain in the entire world.

'The Prophet of Islam was sent to spread Islam in the World even if the infidels were angered by it. We desire so passionately to die in Allah's way as the infidels and idolaters want to live a life of comfort and luxury,' he said.

Interestingly, the CD showed inset pictures of senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, Professor Abdul Gani Bhat and also those of Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, labeling them all as 'traitors of Islam.'

The speaker also lambasted Syed Sallah-ud-Din, the supreme commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the head of the Muzaffarabad based United Jihad Council for trying to 'protect and support the Kashmiri All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders.

'Today's declaration is also the sounding of the death knell against all these persons,' the disc claimed.

It must be recalled that a statement released in Srinagar [Images] last year on July 13 had claimed Al-Qaeda's presence in Kashmir under the command of Abu Abdul Rehman Al Ansari and had said, 'the objectives of the outfit would be announced shortly.'

Police had then denied any Al-Qaeda presence in Jammu and Kashmir.

(With PTI Inputs)