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| In 1 month, terrorists snatch 30 rifles from cops in south Kashmir | | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 17: The Minister of Home Affairs (MHA) is deeply worried over growing incidents of gun snatching in Kashmir Valley.
There has been an increase in such incidents, as suspected militants have snatched over 30 rifles from policemen during last one month.
Terrorists on Sunday decamped with five guns after snatching them from policemen who were guarding a TV tower at Anantnag.
The incidents assume significance in the wake of reports that many youth from south Kashmir have joined terrorist ranks during the last three months of agitation.
Sources told Early Times that the MHA "believes that there has been a steep rise in such incidents in the recent months and there are apprehensions that most of the weapons are ending up in the hands of Hizbul Mujahideen ultras."
MHA has received reports that dozens of youth from south Kashmir have gone missing after the killing of Burhan Wani on July 8.
"We believe that these youth might have joined terrorist ranks and it is being suspected that the snatched weapons have fallen into their hands," said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.
He however refused to give exact figure about the youth who joined terrorist ranks after Wani's killing.
The MHA sources said that while infiltration and terrorists attacks continue along the Line of Control (LoC), the concern is that these missing weapons could be used for attacks on security forces.
Sources said the MHA has asked the security forces to launch operations to locate the weapons and also neutralise terrorists who might have sneaked into the Valley taking advantage of the protest agitation.
Intelligence agencies believe there are over 100 terrorists as of now in south Kashmir.
Meanwhile, sources said that a wary J&K police has now asked its personnel not to retain their weapons while going on leave and instead deposit them in the post or nearest police station.
The first incident of a policemen decamping with a service rifle in Kashmir happened when Naseer Ahmad Pandit, a constable posted at the residence of Altaf Bukhari, a former minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government, decamped with his service rifle in March 2015.
Pandit later joined Hizbul Mujahideen and was seen in a picture with Burhan Wani. The picture went viral on social media.
Sources said that a pattern is visible. Those who wanted to join terrorist ranks in recent years have first snatched weapons from security forces and then become part of mainly Hizbul Mujahideen group.
Intelligence sources said that there were two reasons behind the number of weapon-snatching incidents going up. "One is they (terrorists) don't have weapons and they can't buy them in Kashmir because the government here doesn't make weapons. Second is the strict guard at the LoC," they said.
The police refuses to make public the number of incidents in recent months in which weapons were snatched but acknowledge it as a challenge.
"In the past two years, terrorists have resorted to more than half a dozen hit and run attacks besides injuring the forces and snatching their rifles. This is worrisome," a top police official said.
He said it is a disturbing new reality, but most of the times attempts made to snatch weapons have been foiled. "Efforts have been made to ensure this doesn't get repeated," the officer added. |
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