Kashmiri Soldier Deserts Army, Joins Terrorist Group Hizbul Mujahideen
The rebel soldier, Idrees Mir, had went missing a couple of weeks ago, with his last location being traced in Shopian.
Srinagar, April 16: A soldier from Jammu & Kashmir has reportedly quit the Indian Army and joined the indigenous militant group Hizbul Mujahideen. In an image uploaded on social media, he was spotted in the Hizbul gears, warning the Indian forces of "retaliation" in the Urdu text attached with the photo.
The rebel soldier, identified as Idrees Mir, was posted in the Army's Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) unit, a police official confirmed while speaking to news agency PTI.
Mir had went missing a couple of weeks ago, with his last location being traced in Shopian. The Army so far maintained that he is "missing" with no information about his joining any terror group.
The police, however, claims Mir, along with two Shopian locals joined the Hizbul ranks on Sunday. Although an inquiry is being conducted, the police believe the soldier was unhappy with his next posting in Jharkhand, which could be one of the reasons behind quitting the armed forces.
In the past two years, two soldiers of the J&K Light Infantry had quit the forces and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen.
The incidents come in the backdrop of the J&K state government warning the Centre against the growing disillusionment among the Kashmiri populace. The most recent warning came from J&K Cabinet Minister Tassaduq Mufti, who in the past week, said a "whole generation of Kashmiris would have to pay with blood" if the BJP and PDP - the ruling coalition partners in the state - end up "being partners in the crime".
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2018 05:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).