RAJOURI - Khadim Hussain, a teenager from Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, reportedly missing for the past three years, is now suspected to have been lured by militants to join their outfit.

Khadim had quit school in July 2005 and went missing afterwards.

After a few months his family heard a rumour that Khadim has been forcibly recruited by an unknown militant organisation.

Suleiman Hussain, Khadim’s father hopes that his son has taken up some productive vocation and not fallen as a prey to the militants.

“What can I say? If I meet him and he tells me that he had gone out for work, then I will accept him, but only after doing a complete enquiry about his whereabouts. But if he says that he had been with a militant outfit, then I will consider him as my worst enemy,” said Suleiman.

Senior Superintendent of Police Shafkat Wafali pointed out that militant groups operating in the area had been aggressively targeting local teenagers to fill their ranks.

However, he assured that the state administration is trying to increase awareness by educating families about the potential militant threats and also trying to generate employment opportunities in the region so that youngsters do not get lured by militant organisations.

“Militants have attained a lot of success in the past but of late, the recruitment figure is very low. This (Khadim Hussain) is an isolated case. I feel it is an eye opener and we feel such instances should not happen and it should reach to people making them understand that it’s not advantageous,” said Wafali.

According to sources, the militant operatives avoid direct confrontation with the security forces as such they recruit non-militants to execute their activities. (ANI)