Shillong: Director general of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) S C Chaube today (Nov 11) said recruitment of locals in different militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir have gone up in the last two to three months, even as the ultras were "fine tuning" their communication systems.

"According to intelligence reports, as many as 75 young boys whose whereabouts are not known, have been recruited by the militants in Jammu and Kashmir in the last two-three months," Chaube told a press conference.

He said the militants – "aided and abetted by the ISI and Pakistan Army" – were also "fine tuning" their communication systems and procuring more and more devices. "And that is a challenge to the security force like CRPF," Chaube said.

The DG, however, said during September, 200 militants were killed by offences launched by the security forces. This was the "highest number" of ultras killed in a single month in 2003.

September also witnessed some of the highs as highest number of 341 people killed by the militants as against 126 in February and maximum 239 incidents were recorded in this month, he said

Chaube said as part of the Centre's policy, CRPF would take over the internal security of Srinagar city in Kashmir from Border Security Force (BSF) and the process began from today itself with five battalions especially trained in counter-insurgency already moving there.

Another three would be joining them by the end of this month and "we hope by March 2004, altogether 16 battalions would replace as many of BSF to take full command of Srinagar," he said.

PTI