Baramulla (Kashmir), Oct 08: Taking a cue from jehadi elements in Pakistan who have turned madrassas as breeding ground for recruitment, militants operating in the Kashmir Valley have started targeting the religious schools to fill up their dwindling ranks, a senior police officer said today. Teenaged students in Madrassas are the main target of the ultras which was evident with the rescue of three boys in the age group of 11-13 years from the clutches of militants at Aham Sharief in Bandipora area of north Kashmir on Saturday, Deputy Inspector General of Police, in-charge Kupwara and Baramulla districts, Ashok Kumar Gupta told reporters here.
The boys studying in Darul-Aloom Usmania located in Pulwama district were intercepted by police while they were being taken to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for arms training by al-Badr militant outfit, he said after handing over the boys to their parents today.
He said interrogation of the boys revealed that they fell into the trap of militants who promised them enrolment in reputed madrassas. Tanveer Ahmad Khanday, a resident of Keller, Mohammad Rafiq Tantry (Kulgam) and Mukhtar Ahmad Wani (Pulwama) were approached by al-Badr 'commander' Muzam Il Ahmad Naikoo alias Murtaza, a resident of Mamendar-Shopian, and given Rs.150 each as pocket money, Gupta said.
He said they were handed over to one, Ashiq Hussain Khan, who was to guide them to PoK through Gurez sector. However, police got specific information and rescued the boys besides arresting Khan who is being interrogated. Bureau Report