Two terrorists surrender after families brought to encounter site in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla

In a rare incident, two terrorists surrendered after their families were brought to the encounter site in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, said IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar on Thursday. After the newly recruited terrorists were encircled by security forces in Tujjar area of Sopore town, they surrendered.

The Al-Badr terrorists have been identified as Abid and Mehraj. A joint operation was launched by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Indian Army after receiving a tip-off.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police said, "Newly recruited terrorists Abid and Mehraj of Al-Badr were encircled by forces on a tip-off surrendered before the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Indian Army."

The Jammu and Kashmir Police brought their families to the encounter site to persuade them to surrender and eventually they surrendered before the security forces.

In a similar incident, on October 13, it was reported that an SPO had decamped with two AK47. The same day Jahangir Ahmad Bhat from Chadoora went missing. The family was trying to trace him. In a joint operation on October 16 morning, he was cornered. As per protocol, the Indian Army made efforts to convince the individual to surrender and he surrendered.

The father of the man was at the site and the impact of the efforts to make the youth come back from the of violence was visible. Indian Army continues to make efforts to prevent terror recruitment and in case of youth joining terror are provided with the option to come back. 

In this effort, increasing support from civil society, including video messages by parents and family appealing to the youth to come back, is proving very effective.

The increased social effort is a good sign and it helps reduce local terror recruitment in the coming days.

Indian Army has renewed focus on efforts to give options to misguided Kashmiri youth, who joined terrorism, to shun the path of violence. The families and civil society are also part of this effort.