Omar Abdullah 'alarmed' over spurt in Kashmiri youths taking to guns

Srinagar, Apr 2: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed alarm over more and more local youths joining militancy and has blamed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for the new trend which, he said, has emerged after killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani two years ago.

"Of the 12 confirmed dead, I understand 11 are local Kashmiris & (and) the identity of the 12th is being ascertained, not one so far is a foreign terrorist. Is no one in a position of power in Delhi alarmed by this because I certainly am!" Omar said in a series of tweets.

Omar tweets were over yesterday's three encounters in Shopian and Anantnag districts of Kashmir in which 13 militants, four civilians and three Army men were killed. "@MehboobaMufti's biggest & least talked about failure has been the massive jump in the numbers of young Kashmiri men joining the ranks of militant organisations," Omar said.

"Very Bloody Sunday in Kashmir ... 13 militants killed but not without extracting a high cost - 3 Army men killed in the line of duty & 4 protestors killed around the encounter sites," he added. The opposition National Conference working president lashed out at Mehbooba for staying in Delhi while the encounters were raging in the valley. "So while all this was unfolding the chief minister didn't see (it) fit to cut short her Delhi trip. What was so important to have kept her there?" he asked.

Omar said most of the militants killed yesterday had joined the militancy after killing of Burhan Wani in an encounter with the security forces in July 2016. "Creations of the post-Burhan Wani rage, most of the militants killed yesterday were new recruits," he added.

PTI