The Indian Army on Friday refuted claims made by Jama’at-ud-Da’wah chief Hafiz Saeed that his men “killed 30 soldiers” in an attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor region on January 9. The mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks claimed responsibility for the attack and showered praise on his “young boys”, reported NDTV.

The JuD chief reportedly made the statement while addressing a gathering in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday. “Four young men entered the Army camp, wiped out soldiers in 10 camps and returned safe, without even a scratch. This is a surgical strike,” he was heard saying in an audio clip that surfaced on Friday.

Saeed added that India made false claims of its Army carrying out surgical strikes across the Line of Control with Pakistan on September 29, reported The Economic Times. “It is a lie. They did drama to fool the world,” Saeed said.

On January 9, the Army had said that three labourers were killed after militants attacked a General Reserve Engineer Force camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor region. The labourers killed in the attack worked with the authority that develops and maintains roads in border areas.

The United Nations had declared the JuD a terror organisation and also branded Saeed a terrorist in 2008. The United States had declared a bounty of $10 million on him.