Militants stop use of cell phones, recruitment on rise

Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 3: With the onset of summer in Kashmir, security forces have apprehensions that infiltration of militants from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) into Kashmir will rise this year and recruitment of local youth into militancy is also on increase.
Sources said that around 100 militants have been recruited from the villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in PoK who are well versed with the terrain and share ethnic bond and have relations with the people living near the LoC on the Indian side of Kashmir.
They said recruitments from the LoC villages have been made to boost the infiltration efforts with their help. These militants of LoC villages may be used as guides for pushing in the infiltrators.
Sources said that over 200 militants are waiting on the launch pads in PoK ready to infiltrate. They said that there are 28 launch pads in PoK where these militants are taken before they are infiltrated into Kashmir after reconnaissance. They said that this year JeM is more active than LeT and mostly the Jaish cardes are being infiltrated.
Sources said that four groups of militants have managed to infiltrate this year from Kupwara sector. However, five members of one of the groups have been eliminated in Lashdat forests of Kupwara while one has been captured.
Sources said that this year militants are trying to increase the infiltration attempts for stepping up violence in Kashmir. Last year as per the Multi Agency Centre figures, 120 militants infiltrated into Kashmir.
Sources said that militants have been asked to abandon use of mobile phones and other gadgets as they were being tracked by the security forces. Last year 208 militants were killed by security forces in the ‘Operation All Out’ and majority of the operations were conducted on technical inputs.
In the meantime, recruitment of local youth into militancy is on rise this year. Sources said that 50 youth have joined militancy this year in the first four months while last year 117 had joined the militancy.

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