Militants overpower cops, snatch 2 rifles in Kashmir

Militants decamped with two automatic rifles from the house of a former police officer in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Sunday night.

A police official said militants at around 10:45 pm (Sunday) entered the house of former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sheikh Ghulam Mohammad at Noorani Colony in Gopalpora, Budgam and took away two carbine guns from his security guards after overpowering them.

SSP Budgam, Tejinder Singh said police have taken cognizance of the incident.

The latest incident comes just two weeks after a special police officer (SPO), on guard duty with a PDP legislator, decamped with seven AK-47 rifles and a pistol from the official residence of the legislator in Srinagar.

Immediately after the incident, the pictures of SPO Adil Bashir of Zainapora, Shopian with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zeenat-ul-Islam went viral on social networking websites. In the pictures, Bashir was seen with four other Hizbul militants including Islam.

There has been a spurt in the incidents of weapon-snatching by militants and cops decamping with service rifles in the Valley since 2016. “Due to the sudden rise in local recruitment of militants, there is a shortage of weapons in militant outfits and incidents of weapon snatching are taking place. Such incidents are also planned with a view of embarrassing the security personnel,” a senior police officer told DH.

He described the rifle snatching from police guards at the residences of protected persons is a serious security breach. “Such incidents are also planned with a view of embarrassing the security personnel,” the officer added.

Army and police have time and again termed the incidents of rifle-snatching as a cause of concern and have taken several measures to stop the menace. However, despite that the militants are carrying out weapon snatching strikes at will.