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Army rescues six kidnapped boys from militants

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Soldiers of the 5 Rashtriya Rifles on Tuesday rescued six kidnapped boys from militants in the jungles near Safapur.

According to army sources, the 5 Rashtriya Rifles carried launched an operation in jungles near Safapur and rescued the boys, aged between 18 and 25 years. Sources said they were possibly being forcefully taken to Pakistan for training and conversion to militancy. "Once brainwashed and paid well, these boys would have obeyed their diktats," army sources said.

According to army officials, the six boys were kidnapped from villages near Ganderbal, in the last week of August. Sources said the boys were kidnapped from Batvyena and Barsu villages in the valley at gunpoint. The villagers subsequently informed the local army authorities, who carried out the operation to rescue the boys.

The sources said the boys were kidnapped immediately after the Kargil conflict. They said it was part of the overall strategy to recruit more locals into Pakistan-based terrorist outfits.

"There is an increasing shortage of local elements amongst them. They are desperate to get local boys to support them, and enrol them into these outfits," senior army officials said.

According to available information, the operation was still on in the jungles near Safapur. No details of casualties were available.

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