Jammu
With a couple of cases surfacing of youth in the Jammu region joining militancy, militant organisations in the Valley appear to be successfully spreading their tentacles in the state.
After the gap of over 12 years, the Muslim majority region of the Chenab valley is in the news for its link with militancy. Since July 1, three youths of Doda district have joined militant ranks, the latest being Haroon Abbas Wani (31) of Ghat village. Another youth Masood Ahmed (32) of Manjmi village in Bhagwah tehsil has also apparently joined militant ranks but there has been no confirmation as yet.

On July 1, Abid Hussain Butt of Sazan village had joined LeT ranks in the Kashmir valley. He got killed in Anantnag town on July 25 during an encounter with security forces.

“Pakistan is behind all this, it wants to disturb the Jammu region too,” Director General of Police Shesh Pal Vaid told The Tribune. “Those who have contacts in Kashmir are being radicalised,” the DGP said.

During the 1990s, many youth from the Chenab valley were affiliated to the Hizbul Mujahideen and some were part of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and Al-Jihad. But no one from the region was part of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba or Jaish-e-Muhammad. Now, these organisations are also trying to target the Jammu region. Though they don’t get much support in the Jammu plains, they have been targeting the security installations to create a fear psychosis.