82 local youths joined militancy this year: Report

Srinagar: The data compiled by J&K’s Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) has revealed that 82 local youths have joined militancy since the beginning of the year, reported The Indian Express.

According to data compiled by J&K’s Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), the month of June saw 27 youths from the Valley — mainly from the districts of Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam in South Kashmir — joining militancy.

The data (till June-end) shows that 82 local youths have joined militancy since the beginning of the year, raising fears in the security establishment that this could be the worst year ever in terms of local recruitment of militants in the Valley. In 2017, 128 local youths were reported to have joined militancy, up from 84 in 2016, 83 in 2015 and 63 in 2014.

Of the 82 who joined militancy this year, 38 joined the Hizbul Mujahideen, 18 joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba and 19 joined the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

According to security officials, the spike in April followed the Army’s operation on April 1, when 13 militants were killed in the Valley. Their funerals, said security officials, led to a fresh wave of recruitment of local youths into militancy. (Courtesy: The Indian Express)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)