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Over 100 terrorists including 23 foreigners, have been killed in Kashmir in the first five months of 2019, but what is keeping the security establishment worried is the large number of new recruits, officials said .
According to them, 50 youngsters have joined various terror outfits since March and the security establishment needs to find a better way to cut off the supply chain and can even consider educating families on radicalisation of the youth.
The officials said 101 terrorists– 23 foreigners and 78 local terrorists– were killed in 2019 till May 31. They include top commanders such as Zakir Musa, the chief of so-called Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
However, there is a sudden surge of terrorists from Hizbul Mujahideen joining Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, especially after the elimination of Musa on May 23, they said.
The officials, many of whom are engaged in either fighting militancy on the ground or formulating strategy, believe there is a need for having a re-look at all anti-militancy policy and for engaging with youths and parents to educate them about evils of radicalisation.
Among the terrorists killed, Shopian accounted for a maximum of 25, including 16 local terrorists. Pulwama was second with the killings of 15 terrorists, followed by Awantipora with 14 and Kulgam with 12.
