Operation All Out of launched by Government Forces in Jammu Kashmir in 2017, may have yielded results as hundreds of Militants have been killed, however, security forces have time and again expressed growing concern about recruitments into Militant groups.
The recent “Terror Mapping Report” prepared by Security agencies reveals that South Kashmir continues to be a breeding ground for Militants and recruitments in various Militant outfits.
According to the report, a total of 57 Youth were recruited in Jammu Kashmir from January to June this year, while several others have gone missing. Out of the total 52 recruits, 82 per cent were recruited from the districts of South Kashmir. The report further reveals that the maximum number of terrorists were recruited in Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Four youths from Baramulla district stepped into the world of Militancy, Which was 7% of the total recruitment. A youth from the Bandipora district also joined the Militants.
In South Kashmir, a total of 21 youths from Pulwama, 16 from Shopian, 6 from Kulgam and 4 from Anantnag also joined various Militant outfits.
According to top security officials, the infiltration has gone down drastically but the number of local youths to the militant ranks continues to worry agencies.
South Kashmir has been seen a drastic upsurge in local recruitment post-2014 when the Bhartiya Janta Party came to power in the centre.
The Security agencies say that in Kashmir they have counselled hundreds of youth in the last year and since 2016 and stopped them from joining Militant outfits. It may also be noted that the trend of Militants surrendering during encounters saw a surge in 2020. The Inspector-General of Jammu Kashmir Police for the Kashmir region revealing the numbers said that as many as twelve Militants have surrendered during live encounters with security forces in 2020.
The death of top commanders of Hizb ul Mujahideen (the Prominent Miltant outfit from Kashmir) Riyaz Naikoo and Dr Saifullah’s deaths at the hand of the Government forces, that too in less than eight months, is believed to have dealt a massive blow to Hizbul Mujahideen.
In an attempt to check on the Militant recruitment in the region, the Security agencies also stopped handing over the dead bodies of the Militants to their families for funerals. The funerals of Militants which till 2020 April, gathered mass crowds, were conducted silently away from their people, in front of a limited number of family members.