The Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed to have arrested a top overground worker of the Hizbul Mujahideen group, PTI reported on Wednesday. Touseef Ahmad Gudna alias Abu Bakar was allegedly involved in encouraging youth to join the outfit and revive militancy in Kishtwar district, the police said.

Gudna was arrested based on information obtained during the interrogation of two Hizbul Mujahideen militants who were arrested on July 1, the police said. After the arrest, there is “likelihood of decrease in terrorist activities and reduction in the number of youth indulging in anti-national activities”, said an unidentified police spokesperson.

Gudna was allegedly involved in a militancy-related case in Srinagar last year.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old MBA graduate from Doda reportedly joined the outfit last week. Pictures of him with a gun were uploaded on social media on Tuesday. Haroon Abbas Wani is the second youth from Doda to have joined the outfit since July.

“We are really surprised that he has taken this step by leaving the family in distress,” his stepmother told ANI. “We want him to come back as real jihad is to look after parents in old age and not adopting the path of violence which serves no purpose.”