Surge in terror recruitments at Kashmir keeps agencies on their toes
There has been a surge in terror recruitments in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 45 youth have joined terror groups this year, statistics prepared till mid-April reveal.
According to the top brass of the security establishment in the state, Shopian and Kulgam in south Kashmir have emerged as a major hub by respectively accounting for 12 and 9 of the 45 youths.
The other areas of south Kashmir which have witnessed youths taking to terrorism are Anantnag (seven), Pulwama (four) and Awantipura (three). Moreover, unconfirmed reports, which were in the process of verification, suggest that three more from Pulwama had joined terror groups, officials said.
Similarly, in north Kashmir, one youth from Handwara, two from Kupwara, one each from Bandipora and Sopore and one from Srinagar have disappeared in the recent past and are suspected to have joined terror organisations, they said.
This includes Junaid Ashraf Sehrai, 26, an MBA degree holder from Kashmir University, and son of Mohammed Ashraf Sehrai, who took over as chairman of Tehrek-e-Hurriyat from Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Teherik-e-Hurriyat is a pro-Pakistan amalgam of separatists groups.
The
list
also
includes
a
26-year-old
PhD
scholar
Mannan
Bashir
Wani
hailing
from
Kupwara,
officials
said.
Wani
was
studying
in
the
Aligarh
Muslim
University
(AMU).
According
to
officials,
every
funeral
of
a
terrorist
spawns
at
least
two
additions
to
the
ranks
of
terror
groups.
"It has become a bottomless pit. We engage, counter, eliminate or make them surrender and the very next day, social media gives us proof of birth of another militant. This vicious cycle needs to be broken," said a senior army official who is engaged in anti-terror operations.
Ruling party politicians from south Kashmir have reportedly abandoned their ancestral homes and housed themselves in well-fortified accommodation in Srinagar or Jammu. Efforts to seek their comments on the situation in their constituencies did not yield any result as they were reluctant to be drawn into any debate related to it.
A
senior
politician,
who
did
not
wish
to
be
named,
said:
"Never
has
this
situation
arisen
when
space
for
mainstream
politicians
has
shrunk
to
this
extent.
It
is
a
scary
situation".
Security
agencies
believe
that
in
April
there
has
seen
a
conspicuous
rise
in
the
number
of
locals
joining
various
terror
groups
after
13
local
terrorists
were
killed
in
encounters
with
security
forces
in
Shopian
and
Anantnag.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have been quite vocal about PDP-BJP government's alleged failure in checking the rising trend of youths joining terrorism.
"Mehbooba Mufti's biggest and least talked about failure has been the massive jump in the numbers of young Kashmiri men joining the ranks of militant organisations," he had tweeted earlier.
On more and more locals joining terror groups, he had said, "...Is no one in a position of power in Delhi alarmed by this because I certainly am!"
Police
have
approached
many
parents
requesting
them
to
ask
their
children
to
surrender
on
the
assurance
of
a
normal
life.
The
story
remains
unchanged,
says
a
senior
police
official,
who
adds
that
many
a
times
parents
express
their
helplessness.
Appeals
have
been
made
by
Mehbooba
Mufti
as
well
as
state
police
chief
SP
Vaid
and
senior
army
officers
but
in
vain.
"We cannot keep a finger on any particular reason for the spurt in a number of youth joining militancy. However, It could be growing influence of pan-Islamisation and religious indoctrination in which unemployment emerges as a catalyst for a quick reaction to pick up a gun," says a senior security official.
The first four months of 2018 has already witnessed 100 deaths, including 55 terrorists, 20 security personnel and 25 civilians. Of the 55 terrorists killed, 27 were locals whereas the rest were described as foreigners by security agencies in the press handouts issued post-encounters.
In 2017, a total of 126 youths had picked up guns. It was the highest number since 2010, according to a recent data presented in the state assembly and Parliament.
There has been a steady rise in the number of youth taking up arms in the Valley since 2014 onwards as compared to 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In 2010, 54 youths had joined terror groups while in 2011, the number came down to 23 and further dipped to 21 in 2012 and 6 in 2013. In 2014, the number shot up to 53 and in 2015, it reached 66 before touching the highest mark of 88 in 2016, the data showed.