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Journalism of Courage
LORAN (POONCH), NOV 25: Frightened by the forcible recruitment being done by pro-Pak foreign mercenaries, many families have migrated from their native places to areas having deployment of the security forces in the border Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Disclosing this, senior army officials said the mercenaries were kidnapping local youth and taking them across the Line of Control (LOC) for arms training, as the latter were not prepared to join their ranks even for money. There were instances of the local youth fleeing from the captivity of mercenaries either on way to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK), or returning home after arms training from across the border, they added.
Giving one such recent instance, an army official said that mercenaries kidnapped a youth from village Panjal some days ago. However, when they were taking him across the LOC, the latter fled from their captivity.
Annoyed over the escape of the local youth, the militants returned to Panjal and kidnapped his wife.However, hardly had they covered some distance with the female hostage, the mercenaries came in contact with a party of 22 Punjab.
The latter killed five mercenaries during a fierce encounter and recovered the woman safely. Since then, the youth along with his wife and other family members has shifted to an unknown place for safety.
Confirming the incident, Jalal-ud-Din (70) of Loran said the mercenaries were terrorizing and killing Hindus and Muslims alike. They kidnapped two local boys from Kiyala (Loran) two months ago and their whereabouts were still unknown, he said and added “we are dependent on the Army for safety”.
Habibullah (83) said people have migrated from various remote villages to places near the army pickets and camps due to fear of gun wielding foreign mercenaries in the district. Substantiating, he said villages like Bari Behak, Darher, Kullian, Kathian, Dara Marg and Pallani were almost deserted in view of the migration of local residents to Loran where army had a camp.
This wasalso confirmed by a senior army official, who said mercenaries had started kidnapping local youth for arms training about six months ago. Some of the families, who were still living in remote areas, had sent their youth to safer places, he said and added that same was the position in various other parts of Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Situated at a height of 6,500 ft from the sea level, Loran touches the famous tourist resort of Gulmarg on one side. It had been safe paradise for militants, especially foreign mercenaries, until the deployment of 22 Punjab in March this year. Sources said it has so far killed 19 militants and all of them happened to be foreign mercenaries.
A senior army official said the foreign mercenaries operating in Loran area were mostly Pakistanis and those hailing from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK). About Afghan mercenaries, he said their number was not more than two in each militant group in view of their not being well versed with the local language.
In view of their fastdwindling local support, the mercenaries were now carrying along with them life saving drugs and other medicines, besides dry fruits and sophisticated weapons. He, however, admitted that it was not possible for the mercenaries to travel through the mountainous passes in both the border districts without any local people, saying the latter were being forced to act as guides on gun point.
