Srinagar: Over 100 militants, including 23 foreigners, have been killed in Kashmir in the first five months of 2019, but what is keeping the security establishment worried is a large number of new recruits, officials said Sunday.

The officials said that 50 youngsters have joined various militant outfits since March and the security establishment needs to find a better way to cut off the supply chain and can even consider educating families on the radicalisation of the youth.

They believe there is a need for having a re-look at all anti-militancy policy and for engaging with youth and parents to educate them about the evils of radicalisation.

The officials said infiltration was also picking up and some of the militants had managed to sneak in from Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu region as well as from the LoC in Kashmir valley. 

This created a more alarming situation for the government forces which were readying themselves for the two-month-long Amarnath yatra beginning this month-end.

There has been a steady rise in the number of youth taking up arms in the Valley since 2014 onward as compared to 2010-2013 when the figures stood at 54, 23, 21 and 6. 

In 2014, the number shot up to 53 and in 2015, it reached 66 before touching the highest mark of 88 in 2016, the data presented in the Parliament earlier showed. (PTI)