Three over-ground workers (OGWs) of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit were detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Monday, police said.

Touseef-ul-Nabi, Zahoor-ul-Hassan and Reyaz Ahmad were taken into custody under the law that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in some cases on the recommendations of the police, they said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Khalil Poswal said the three are "hardcore" OGWs and named in various cases registered in different police stations.

“Due to their continued engagement in anti-national activities and role in motivating local youths to join banned (terrorist) organisations, the imposition of the PSA was deemed necessary,” the officer said.

Poswal said the operation to detain the three was executed meticulously after obtaining PSA orders from the competent authority.

Several teams were formed and the three individuals were apprehended from different locations in Kishtwar and subsequently lodged in different jails of Jammu province, he said.

He said the police are pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of anti-national elements.

“On one front, awareness programmes are being conducted throughout the district, while on the other strict actions will be taken against anti-national and anti-social elements to ensure the safety and well-being of the public,” the SSP said, adding, “There is no room for such activities in Kishtwar." He asked such elements to shun their anti-national activities and return to mainstream society as failing to do so will result in “uncompromising consequences”.

“The general public is once again urged to play an active role in maintaining the security of Kishtwar by reporting any information related to anti-national, anti-social or drug-related activities in their vicinity to police,” the SSP said.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.