New Delhi: Recruitment of youths in Jammu and Kashmir into militant groups has shown an increase in recent months triggering panic among security agencies which have asked for early steps to be taken to negate this trend.
Senior officials in the Union Home Ministry said “spike” in the local recruitment and increased militant-related violence have been a cause of worry.
Both the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government are working in tandem with each other for finding a solution to this, the officials said, adding special programmes are likely to be launched for preventing radicalisation of youths in the Kashmir Valley.
While the officials did not give any figures for local recruitment this year, various reports of intelligence agencies claim that nearly 20 youths could have joined militant outfits mostly with Hizbul Mujahideen.
The officials also said there has been an increase in militancy-related violence in the state which is mostly due to growing infiltration from across the Line of Control in the Valley.
The officials cited early melting of snow in the higher reaches as a reason for rise in infiltration from across the border.
However, the officer said 67 militants were killed this year by security agencies in the state.