Terror outfits urge students to abstain from taking up arms

Two days after a PhD scholar-turned-terrorist was killed by security forces, United Jihad Council (UJC), an umbrella group of over a dozen terror outfits, has urged students to concentrate on their studies and stay away from militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement to local news agencies, UJC General Secretary Sheikh Jameel-ur-Rehman, who is also the chief commander of Tehreek-ul-Mujhadeen, said students are their valuable assets and they should stay away from terrorism.

"Youth are our valuable asset and if they don't concentrate on their studies, then those pro-India elements will find it easy to stretch the period of our thraldom. I request commanders as well to desist from giving training to budding students," Sheikh said in a statement.

The statement comes two days after PhD-scholar-turned Hizbul Mujahedeen commander Mannan Wani was killed along with his associate by security forces in an encounter at Handwara in the border district of Kupwara.

"The pace India has adopted to kill the youth of Kashmir has backfired as more and more educated and qualified youth are joining terrorist ranks. I request students to concentrate on their technical and professional studies as they are the ones who have to run this ongoing freedom struggle movement," he said.

The statement comes when recruitment by terror outfits is at an all-time high in Jammu and Kashmir. More than 160 youth have taken up arms this year so far. Last year, 127 youth had taken up arms in the valley.

This year, security forces have killed 164 terrorists, including top commanders of Lashkar-e-Tioba and Hizbul Mujhadeen. Last year, 209 terrorists were killed by the security forces in entire 2017.