95 Kashmiri Youth Joined Militancy During Last One Year: Police

Security personnel during a cordon and search operation in Shopian, Kashmir on Thursday to flush out militants holed up inside homes. (Getty images)

Srinagar: As many as 95 Kashmiri youth have joined militancy during the last one year, raising to 200 the total strength of the militants active in the valley, a senior police official said on Monday.

“There are over 200 militants active in Kashmir. 95 youth have joined the militant ranks in the past year,” Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) S J M Gillani told reporters.

He said while 110 militants are locals, rest of them are foreigners.

On the social media ban imposed by the government, Gillani said impact of the ban will be assessed at the end of the one-month period.

“After the one-month period (is over), the ban on social media will be reviewed,” he said.

The state government imposed a ban on 22 websites and social media applications last month as it believed that these platforms were being misused by inimical elements to stoke trouble in Kashmir.