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SRINAGAR

Lt Gen Dua

Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps General Officer Commanding (GOC) Lt Gen Satish Kumar Dua said that the local youth in the Valley who join militants “get their training from internet also”.

“The local militants are not ex-filtrated. They haven’t gone across for training. They are not trained well and most of their training is on-job. Rest of the training they pick up from the internet,” Lt Gen Dua told reporters on the side lines of a sports event organised by the army in South Kashmir’s Awantipora on Tuesday.

Lt Gen Dua said that the local youth being recruited by the militants is a new trend in Kashmir.

“Seeing that infiltration is not really taking place…..Seeing that the number of militants is dwindling, the militants recruit locals are using new tactics, which is a new trend,” he said.

On the use of social media by the militants, the GOC said that militants upload catchy videos on YouTube adroitly than using violence, as happened in the past everywhere, to grab attention.

“Nowadays, militants don’t create acts of violence but use social media to grab attention. So, it is more of hype on social media,” he said.

The GoC also said that no infiltration from militants has taken place this year “even though infiltration attempts are increasing along the borders”.

“There are 300 militants who are ready on the launch pads to be infiltrated, but unfortunately for them, they are not finding any opening to infiltrate,” he said.

“The militants are failing in their attempts to infiltrate because of our very well coordinated, multi-tiered counter-infiltration grid. In forests, there have been encounters with militants in the last few weeks which shows there are trying to infiltrate. But they are not succeeding very much. No infiltration is happening at all,” Lt Gen Dua added.

The GOC said that as the winter is approaching “the militants keep trying to infiltrate and the attempts to infiltration are on rise”.

“This is the trend that happens every year that just before snow sets in they push militants,” he said.

Asked whether organising of sports events for youth was an attempt by the army to divert them from joining militancy, the GOC said replied in affirmative.

“I could say yes and stop. We try to give positive direction to youth by organising these programmes. Army has a lot of resources and we use these resources and try to give a direction to the youth. Engagement of the youth is very important for the army. And, yes, such things are helping us. We are happy that such things are happening,” he said. (KNS)

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