Prevented 14 young men from joining militant ranks: J&K Police

Police said the men, aged between 18 and 22 years, were in touch with militants through social media and had to be counselled

J&K Police on Tuesday claimed to have prevented 14 young men from joining militant ranks in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district in the past couple of months.

Director general of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh. (File photo)

Police said the men, aged between 18 and 22 years, were in touch with militants through social media and had to be counselled. “Preliminary investigation revealed that 14 young men were in touch with local militants over social media and were also being lured by Pakistan-based militants to get recruited in terror outfits,” said a police official.

SSP Anantnag Imtiyaz Hussain advised people to take care of their wards and keep an eye on their activity. “Parents should come forward and report any such activity of their wards so that they are mainstreamed through counselling by experts. The young men were counselled by Anantnag Police in the presence of their parents,” he said while sending the men back with their parents.

This is not the first time that young men were rescued by police before they could join militancy. Last month, three young men were arrested from Uri along with a local guide who was planning to help them cross the Line of Control.