Stone throwers picked weapons in Kashmir Valley: Army

Srinagar, Aug 2 (IANS) Eighty-three per cent of local youth who picked up weapons in the Kashmir Valley had a history of stone pelting and many don't survive long after becoming terrorists, Commander of Sringar-based 15 Corps Lt General K.J.S. Dhillon said on Friday, appealing the mothers not to allow their children to take up arms.

Addressing a joint press conference which was also attended by Director General of Police (DGP) J&K police Dilbag Singh and CRPF ADG Zulfiqar Hasan here, the Army officer gave details about the terrorists killed in the Valley and said, "83 percent of local youths who picked up weapons in the Valley were stone pelters while seven percent of the terrorists were killed within 10 days of picking up weapons".

The GoC Chinar Corps (15 Corps) urged the mothers to stop their children from becoming stone pelters for money as the trend showed that these children later became terrorists and got killed.

Giving further details, Lt Gen Dhillon said that nine per cent of youth were killed within a month of joining a militant group while 17 per cent were eliminated in three months, 36 per cent in six months and 64 per cent local youths were killed by security forces in one year of picking up weapons.

Talking about the situation along the Line of Control (LOC), the officer said that it was "under control and peaceful".

He said Pakistan was regularly attempting infiltration which was being foiled by the Indian side.

"On July 30 three militants were eliminated on the LoC while trying to infiltrate," he added.

The number of militant outfits has come down to a large extent, DGP Dilbag Singh said. "Several leaders of LeT and JeM have been eliminated and those surviving were very limited. Moreover, several militant groups have been eliminated altogether," he said.

The number of active militants in the Valley has come down as strong actions were targeted on the terror support networks, he said.

He said that it was good news that many militants have shunned the path of violence and have returned to their home and family and they hoped that many more would leave weapons and reunite with their families.