SRINAGAR: Army’s top Commander in Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Gen Subrata Saha, who heads 15th Corps Saturday said it was the collective responsibility of all agencies and departments to keep youth away from joining militancy in Kashmir.

“See, to my mind, the most important thing is how to engage youth positively. It is the collective responsibility of all agencies and all departments,” the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Saha told reporters in Batapora Shopian, some 60 Kilometers south of Srinagar.

From the last several years, large number of educated youth, mostly in South Kashmir, joined the militant ranks and the trend has been termed as cause of concern by security agencies.

The Army Commander said the Army was trying it’s best to engage the youth through recruitments, education and sports.

He further said the army is facilitating corporate firms to get connected with youth.

Saha said the probe is on in the recovery of contraband near Line of Control on Friday. “The probe is on and we will take action once the probe is over. The meeting is on at border between people who deal with this.”

Lt. General Saha reiterated the army would wait how the ban on Jamat-ud-Dawah by Pakistan is implemented on the ground.

The GOC said as per his information 101 militants were eliminated and 45 neutralized in 2014. “This year in January, 10 militants were eliminated and two neutralized,” he said, adding: “If you see the level, the security forces try to secure the environment so that people complete their day to day routines.