Recruitment of local youth still on: Report

NEW DELHI: Recruitment of local Kashmiri youths into militant groups has hardly shown any declining trend despite unilateral suspension of anti-militancy operations in the state during the month of Ramzan. Security agencies have infact warned of a rise in recruitment of local youths into militant groups, that is said to have reached 81, and a rise in infiltration from various sides of the Line of Control (LoC). Security officials had estimated that this figure to be 45 by the end of April, this year.

According to security agency officials, the highly-volatile Shopian and Pulwama districts in South Kashmir continued to contribute more youths to the militant groups which included outfits like ISIS-Kashmir and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group which claims support of the Al-Qaeda.

As many as 20 youths joined the militant groups in the month of May which included Rouf from Ganderbal, a fourth-semester student pursuing a diploma course in government polytechnic, the officials said.  A Unani doctor, the brother of IPS officer Inamulhaq Mengnoo, has also been reported missing from Shopian and it is apprehended that he too may have joined terror groups

The officials said another 16 were missing mainly from the twin districts and a probe is underway to ascertain whether they have joined any terror group. According to them, infiltration was also picking up. This created a more alarming situation for the security forces which are readying themselves for the two-month long Amarnath Yatra beginning this month-end.

Security officials fear that this year may end up as the worst year in terms of number of youths joining various militant groups as the figures indicated that 81 youths had joined until May this year. In 2017, a total of 126 youths had picked up guns.