Radicalisation of youth and increasing synergy between the different militant outfits continue to figure high on the list of challenges for the security personnel deployed in the counter-insurgency grid in Jammu & Kashmir.
As the year 2015 ended on a successful note with the killing of two more militants in a surgical operation in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district late on Wednesday night the most senior Army officer of the Udhampur-based Northern Command headquarters is ushering into New Year with worries of increasing number of ‘radicalised’ youth joining the ranks of militancy in the state on his mind.
These young militants pose a difficult challenge to security agencies as they mostly rely on social networking sites to garner support and sharing their messages.
Speaking to reporters in Udhampur, lt-Gen DS Hooda, GoC-in-C Northern Command headquarters Thursday said, “Even though the situation remained fairly stable in 2015 and the Army personnel were able to neutralise top commanders of militant outfits in the hinterland the biggest concern on our minds remain large number of youth joining the ranks of militant outfits across Kashmir valley”.
He, however clarified that the number of youth falling prey to sustained propaganda machinery of these militant outfits may not be too large but the trend is worrisome.
“It is a trend which all of us together including parents, security forces, society as a whole will have to deal with to ensure large number of youth don’t go astray at this stage”.
He said it’s extremely unfortunate the youngsters of the State instead of being future of the State are being killed in various encounters.
lt-Gen Hooda even extended an olive branch to these misguided youth saying we would encourage the youth who have joined militancy that if they wish to come overground let me assure them that Army will be there to provide maximum support for their rehabilitation.
Expressing satisfaction over the role of security forces in containing infiltration from across the line of control lt-Gen Hooda said, “The counter infiltration posture the Army had adopted along the line of Control has been fairly successful, and as per our assessment the infiltration this year is somewhere in the region of 30 which is half what it was in the last year.
According to official sources, “171 people including 111 militants, 20 civilians and 41 security personnel were killed across the state in 2015.
Compared to this 193 people were killed in 2014 which included 110 militants, 51 security personnel and 32 civilians. Several top commanders of lashkar-e-Tayyaba and young recruits were eliminated in the successful operations.
The security forces were able to catch Mohd Naved after a fidayeen strike on BSF convoy on Jammu-Srinagar National highway in the first week of August 2015.
Meanwhile, the total number of incidents of infiltration this year have recorded a downward trend compared to previous years. 92 attempts of infiltrations were made by the militants in the region in which 37 militants were eliminated.
In 2014, 221 incidents of infiltration were reported and in 2013 a total number of 264 incidents of infiltration attempts were recorded.
Two top ranking army officers Col MN Rai and Col Santosh Mahadik sacrificed their lives in the line of duty while leading their troops from the front. Colonel Rai laid down his life while combating militants in the Tral area of Pulwama district on January 28 while Colonel Mahadik was killed while fighting militants in Kupwara district on November 17 this year.