Srinagar, April 7: Indian Army Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, who had made an appeal to mothers living in Jammu and Kashmir to try and stop their children from joining the paths of militancy and terrorism, said that his appeal has been received positively. "After my last appeal to mothers, there has been positive response, boys are approaching us and few have been rehabilitated," said Lieutenant General Dhillon adding that "This year, especially after Pulwama attack, we targeted JeM leadership, today I can assure JeM leadership is non-existent in Kashmir valley."J-K: Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon Takes Charge of 15 Corps.

Lieutenant General Dhillon also assured the mothers and relatives that the Indian Army will ensure the return to the mainstream of those who had gone astray by joining militants and wanted to return.

Lt General KJS Dhillon added that two militants were killed in Saturday's Shopian encounter. One amongst those killed was a technical graduate who had joined a militant outfit on April 3. "It takes me back to the point I've been repeating, my request to mothers of Kashmir, please don't let your children take this path," he said.

Lt General Dhillon requested the boys who joined militant outfits to surrender and further elaborated saying, "You sent him for higher education but he dies days after joining the outfit. Is this the future of the youth of Kashmir? Are we working to see this day? This is my request to all boys joining the outfits, to surrender."

"I appeal to the mothers of those who have taken the path of violence, to ensure they do not join militancy or terrorism. If they have joined militant ranks and want to return, we will ensure they return to the mainstream,” Dhillon had said in his address to a passing out parade of Jammu and Kashmir light infantry where 152 youth of the state joined the Indian Army.

Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon took over as the 48th Corps Commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps on February 9, 2019 from Lieutenant General AK Bhatt.Lt General Bhatt, whose tenure saw many successful operations neutralising the highest number of terrorists in a year over a decade, has moved to New Delhi as Military Secretary (MS) at Army Headquarters.

Lt Gen KJS Dhillon was commissioned in December 1983 and has a military career spanning 35 years during which he has held varied command, staff and instructional appointments. Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh recently completed his two-day visit to the Kashmir Valley to review the security situation in the backdrop of recent counter-militancy operations and the forthcoming parliamentary elections. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 07, 2019 04:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).