The Hindu : National : Surrendered youth reveals existence of PoK camps

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Friday, Sep 02, 2005

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Surrendered youth reveals existence of PoK camps

Luv Puri

Says 5,000 boys are being trained there

Army officials present surrendered Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami militant Mohd. Amin alias Wasim before the media in Jammu on Thursday. — PHOTO: PTI

JAMMU: "There are more than 5000 boys being trained in Pakistan occupied Kashmir camps still being run to foment jehad on this side of the Line of Control." This was disclosed by a surrendered militant, who had recently come from across the LoC. Talking to reporters at the 16 Corps headquarters here on Thursday, Mohammad Amin, who once belonged to the Harkat-Ul-Jehad-e-Islami, said: "At present there are more than 5000 boys who are being trained in various terrorist camps across the LoC and they are paid a sum of Rs. 2000 every month as an allowance to meet their daily needs." According to Amin, the militants forcibly recruited him in 1998 when he was studying in Standard VII and was then aged 12.

Amin who surrendered on August 27 disclosed that during his training he found there were other children of his age group. Initially, he was used as a helper in the camps and later on sent across to fight the troops. Several times he was called back across the LoC. The number of militants in the camps had decreased last year but according to Amin, it has again spurted recently.

Security agencies said the disclosures made by Amin also point to the new routes being taken by the militants. Amin had come to Delhi via Nepal by air recently on a fake identity and travelled to the Banihal area of Doda district to take charge of the Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami operations in the belt. Army officials said that the boy was persuaded to surrender by his parents

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