Efforts to guard youth from IS ideology working: Parrikar

Defence minister Manokar Parrikar said Thursday that efforts to stop youths getting attracted by the ideology of terror group Islamic State are on and have started yielding results.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said on Thursday that efforts to stop youths getting attracted by the ideology of terror group Islamic State are on and have started yielding results.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar. (PTI Photo)

“We are trying to reduce the numbers of youths getting attracted towards the ideology of the IS and we have achieved success in it,” he said to a query on the subject.

On the alleged involvement of army personnel in a suspected espionage case involving Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, he said: “We had to tighten intelligence which we have already done.”

Talking to media persons after inaugurating Jammu and Kashmir’s first cable-stayed bridge in Kathua district, he said new and modern technology was being adopted in the construction of roads and tunnels in the state with 20-25 tunnels in the pipeline and a survey was being conducted on the Bhaderwah tunnel as w ell.

The bridge, over the Ravi river, has come up at Basholi on Dunera-Basholi-Bhadharwah road.

Parrikar said the need of the hour was to provide 12 months connectivity to areas affected by snowfall in winters.