Four youth prevented from joining militancy in central Kashmir: Police

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday claimed to have prevented four youth from joining militancy in Budgam and Ganderbal districts.

In a statement, a police spokesman said that four youth – two each in Budgam and Ganderbal – were prevented from joining the militant ranks and after proper counselling were handed over to their parents.

In Budgam, the police received information that two teenagers had left their houses and went missing on 14th March 2021.

“Accordingly, police teams were constituted and subsequently [they] tracked and recovered both the youth in Tral area of Awantipora,” read the statement, adding that both the teens were influenced on social media to join militancy.

“They were instigated by Pakistan based recruiting handlers through social media handles,” read the statement.

The spokesman said the duo was properly counselled in presence of their family members and handed over to their parents.

In Ganderbal, the spokesman said that the police saved two youth, residents of Batwina and Kurhama area of Ganderbal who left their houses to join militant ranks and had initially gone to Shopian.

“Further when they reached Karannagar-Batamaloo axis, they were apprehended by the police,” he said, in the statement.

The spokesman said that the facts have revealed that the duo were motivated by Pakistan-based handlers to join militancy and were asked to establish contact with their ground cadre in Shopian. “After proper counselling, both the youth will be handed over to their parents,” he said.