Five youth join militant ranks in south Kashmir
Pulwama: Five youth have reportedly joined militant ranks in south Kashmir during the past three weeks. The newly recruited youth including four from Shopian and one from Pulwama districts as they have joined a lesser known militant outfit, Al-Badr reports said.
The five youth who joined militant organization include Aasif Ahmad Lone son of Gulam Mohammad Lone resident of Turkawangam Shopian, Zubair Ahmad Nengroo son of Gulzar Ahmad Nengroo resident of Aloora Shopian, Mehraj Ahmad Lone son of Bashir Ahmad Lone resident of Arigam Pulwama, Rafi Ahmad Bhat son of Abdul Gani Bhat resident of Wadipora Nangbal Shopian and Suhail Ahmad son of Abdul Rasheed resident of Muradpora Shopian.
Officials said that Asif went missing during the first week of July, Zubair and Mehraj in 2nd week of July while as Rafi Ahmad Bhat and Suhail Ahmad went missing last week.
All the five youth have announced joining the Al Badr militant outfit as their pictures while carrying guns have went viral on social media, they said.
Pertinently, after the killing of Muzzafar Ahmad Naikoo, alias Muz Molvi, resident of Sopore area of North Kashmir on January 6, 2017 police had said that Muz Molvi was last surviving militant of Al- Badr and with his killing the outfit has been wiped out in the Valley.
However, after the passage of more than a year later many youth from south Kashmir announced joined Al Badr outfit, however all of them including Zeenat ul Islam from Sugan, Nawaz Ahmad Wagay from Reban Shopian, Aijaz Ahmad Paul from Losedanew Shopian, Tawseef Ahmad Wani from Nowpora Pulwama and Sameer Ahmad Seh from Sugan Shopian were killed.
Sameer Ah Seh was last surviving among them who was also killed in July last year, reports added.
Officials said that in 2017 it was Arjumand alias Burhan Musaib from Ratnipora who went to Pakistan for pursuing B tech however, he returned back as commander of Al Badr and recruited many youth.
However, there are no traces of him since the last two years and it is believed that he has returned back to Pakistan, they said.
Police is investigating who is behind the new recruitment of youth in Al Badr as in less than 20 days time five youth have joined the organization, the officials added.
Notably, Al Badr outfit came into being in June 1998 and they were ordered to work under the guidance of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. However, the group soon parted ways with the Hizb.
Al-Badr was banned by India under ‘the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004’.
On 27 April 2005 State Department of United States Government identified Al-Badr as a terrorist organisation in its list of 40 foreign militant organizations.
Al-Badr is currently on the US State Departments list of Designated Foreign militant Organisations.
