Srinagar, Mar 16 (IANS): The Jammu and Kashmir Police have saved four youth from joining terrorist ranks in Ganderbal and Budgam districts, officials said on Tuesday.

The police said that prompt action in Budgam and Ganderbal prevented four youth from joining terrorist ranks. After proper counselling, the four youth were handed over to their parents.

"In Budgam, the police received information that two teenagers had left their homes and gone missing on March 14. Accordingly, police teams were constituted which tracked both the youth in the Tral area of Awantipora. Both the youth are in their early teenage, and had got influenced on social media to join terrorist ranks. They were instigated by Pakistan-based recruiting handlers through social media handles. Both the youth were properly counselled in the presence of their family members and were handed over to their parents," the police said.

In Ganderbal district, the police saved two youth, residents of Batwina and Kurhama areas in Ganderbal, who had left their home to join terrorist ranks and had initially gone to Shopian in south Kashmir.

"When they reached the Karannagar-Batamaloo axis, they were apprehended by the police," officials said.

"The duo revealed that they were motivated by Pakistan based terror handlers to join terrorism and were asked to establish contact with their ground cadre in Shopian district," they added.

The police said that their families have hailed the efforts of the law enforcement agency for timely action.