<p>The recovery of a shoulder-fired explosive warhead - Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher - has sent shockwaves among the security establishments in Kashmir as the weapon can inflict a lot of casualties.</p>.<p>The use of the deadly weapon, which has the potential to damage even armored vehicles, marks a significant escalation in the region where militants were running short of arms till recently.</p>.<p>The Army recovered the RPG launcher and its two projectiles from the militants, who had attempted to attack a convoy of Border Security Force in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Thursday evening. While one of the militants, identified as Usman from Pakistan, was later killed during a gunfight, the other one managed to escape from the security cordon.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/pakistani-militant-killed-in-jk-as-forces-prevent-attack-ahead-of-august-15-1019252.html" target="_blank">Pakistani militant killed in J&K as forces prevent attack ahead of August 15</a></strong></p>.<p>Kashmir police chief Vijay Kumar, said it was after a long time that militants used a RPG. “The recoveries indicate how big a strike the militants were up to,” he said.</p>.<p>The RPG-7 recovered from the Kulgam encounter is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. It is after a long time that such a deadly weapon was used by militants to carry out an attack even though few such rusted weapons had been recovered during search operations.</p>.<p>Sources said the recovery of the RPG has further fuelled suspicion that militants in Kashmir indeed have destructive weapons at their disposal -- ringing alarm bells amidst brass corridors. “Security agencies have taken the issue seriously and are gathering information on such an arsenal of militant groups operating in Kashmir,” they said.</p>.<p>The slain militant Usman, according to the police, had infiltrated at least six months ago and was a close associate of Jaish-e-Mohammad top commander Ismail Alvi who was killed last month. “It is most likely that the RPG recovered in Kulgam had been sent from Pakistan in recent months. There is a likelihood that more such deadly weapons may have reached Kashmir already,” sources added.</p>.<p>Former chief of J&K police, Shesh Paul Vaid says the recovery of RPG is “a matter of concern” and needs to be investigated as how these weapons reached Kashmir.</p>
<p>The recovery of a shoulder-fired explosive warhead - Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher - has sent shockwaves among the security establishments in Kashmir as the weapon can inflict a lot of casualties.</p>.<p>The use of the deadly weapon, which has the potential to damage even armored vehicles, marks a significant escalation in the region where militants were running short of arms till recently.</p>.<p>The Army recovered the RPG launcher and its two projectiles from the militants, who had attempted to attack a convoy of Border Security Force in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Thursday evening. While one of the militants, identified as Usman from Pakistan, was later killed during a gunfight, the other one managed to escape from the security cordon.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/pakistani-militant-killed-in-jk-as-forces-prevent-attack-ahead-of-august-15-1019252.html" target="_blank">Pakistani militant killed in J&K as forces prevent attack ahead of August 15</a></strong></p>.<p>Kashmir police chief Vijay Kumar, said it was after a long time that militants used a RPG. “The recoveries indicate how big a strike the militants were up to,” he said.</p>.<p>The RPG-7 recovered from the Kulgam encounter is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. It is after a long time that such a deadly weapon was used by militants to carry out an attack even though few such rusted weapons had been recovered during search operations.</p>.<p>Sources said the recovery of the RPG has further fuelled suspicion that militants in Kashmir indeed have destructive weapons at their disposal -- ringing alarm bells amidst brass corridors. “Security agencies have taken the issue seriously and are gathering information on such an arsenal of militant groups operating in Kashmir,” they said.</p>.<p>The slain militant Usman, according to the police, had infiltrated at least six months ago and was a close associate of Jaish-e-Mohammad top commander Ismail Alvi who was killed last month. “It is most likely that the RPG recovered in Kulgam had been sent from Pakistan in recent months. There is a likelihood that more such deadly weapons may have reached Kashmir already,” sources added.</p>.<p>Former chief of J&K police, Shesh Paul Vaid says the recovery of RPG is “a matter of concern” and needs to be investigated as how these weapons reached Kashmir.</p>
