India: Local recruitment of terror groups in Kashmir hits zero; majority of active militants now foreign

The Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a massive change with regard to local youth joining terror outfits. The Indian Army says that no local youth have joined the terror outfits in 2024 and the local recruitment has come down to zero. The Indian Army also says that the total number of active terrorists in the UT is at 80 and the majority of them are foreign terrorists.

The terror graph in Jammu and Kashmir has been on a decline for the last few years. Barring a few incidents of violence, the situation has largely been under control. From the areas close to the Line of Control in the Northern Part of Kashmir to the interiors of the Kashmir Valley, the situation has improved. Security forces have said that this year there have been no reports of any local youngsters joining the terror ranks in the Kashmir Valley.

In 2023, around 22 local youth had joinedthe terror ranks. However,the Indian Army says the situation in the Kashmir Valley has improved and terrorism in Kashmir is in its final stages.

"The terrorism today is largely fuelled from across the border, and I think that much is very clear. We have not had any active recruitmentas I see in the last year and a half. The numbers last year were down to a dozen across the year. And this year they are almost next to nil. The official number with agencies is at 80 and you can see that's the lowest number in many years. We have gone below 100. It has been an endeavourof security forces to bring these numbers down. I am quite confident the way we are going ahead, these numbers will keep going down. We could be looking at a lesser figureby the middle of next year,"saidLieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, general officer commanding the Srinagar-based 15 Corps.

Security forces in the region also believe that maintaining peace and improvement in the current atmosphere is the biggest challenge for them. The Indian Army believes that the security grid needs to be as tight and advocates that there should be no reduction in the number of troops in the Union Territory.

"If you see the violence parameters and atrocities committed by terrorists, if you look at fouror five incidents in the valley this year. They are negligible. Now the challenge is to maintain the situation, Kashmir has had a good year, and we need a few more years like this for the lasting peace in the valley. That is going to be the biggest challenge for security forces given today,"saidLieutenant General Ghai.

In the recently concluded assembly elections, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed unprecedented public participation in the polls. With young people at the forefront of campaign rallies and standing in every polling booth of the region to cast their vote. The security forces called it a win as the youth had chosen the ballot over the bullet.