Three more youths shunned the path of militancy in Kashmir on Tuesday, according to the police.
“Another three young boys in the Valley came back home in response to the call of their families. God bless them,” said Director General of Police, J&K, S.P. Vaid.
A total of 10 armed militants have shunned the path of violence to return home in the past few months.
“The return of youths is a big success for the people. It’s Pakistan that is creating trouble here,” said Mr. Vaid.
Besides those giving up arms, according to the police, “67 youths were counselled against joining militancy in 2017.”
The police attribute the change of heart among youths in militant ranks to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s recruit Majid Khan, 22, returning home in November last year.
Pursuing a new strategy, the police have decided to hide the identities of those who return “to allow them to resume normal life without any media trial or hassles.”
Security agencies in Kashmir are actively pursing a soft policy towards local militants by offering them a surrender option even during encounters. Last year, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti doubled the reward money for those who get militants to surrender.
Meanwhile, the police have found 24 grenades on the body of 16-year-old local fidayeen, Fardeen Khan, who was killed in the Pulwama attack on Sunday, along with his two associates.
The encounter site suggested that Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Afzal Guru squad was behind the attack on CRPF’s 185 battalion headquarters.
“Pro-Guru slogans were written on the three weapons recovered from the encounter site,” said a police official.
Both the local fidayeen (suicide attackers), according to the police, were indoctrinated by Noora Trali, a 4-ft. militant commander believed to be behind the J-e-M revival in south Kashmir. The attack was “to avenge the killing of Trali in an encounter in Pulwama on December 26”, the police said.
Five CRPF jawans and three militants, including two locals, were killed in the attack.
