Srinagar, May 20 :Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command of the Indian Army on Monday said that though locals in Kashmir joining militancy “remains a matter of concern.”
“Local recruitment remains a matter of concern for all of us. Last year, we had 217 local youth who had picked up militancy. This year, the number has significantly reduced and as on date there are only 40 youth who have picked up arms,” Lieutenant General Singh said while addressing the media in Udhampur, reported news agency ANI.
He said one of the key reasons for locals picking up gun was the “radicalization and exploitation of social media by Pakistani agencies.”
The army commander said that Pakistan was feeling “starved” due to a very effective counter infiltration grid of the Indian Army.
