Rifle snatched from former MLC’s security officer

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 28

When the service rifle of a personal security officer (PSO) of a former lawmaker was snatched in south Kashmir on Wednesday morning, it was the 57th weapon to be looted since unrest began in the Valley. Out of these, 39 have been recovered while 18 are still missing.

All these rifles have been snatched or looted in south Kashmir that has been the epicentre of the unrest following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani and two of his associates on July 8.

There are reports that over 50 youths from south Kashmir, which is also the bastion of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have gone missing after the killing of Burhan and they may have joined militant ranks. It is suspected that the looted weapons may have fallen into their hands. However, there are no exact figures with the police about such youths.

The latest snatching incident happened at Kellar Shopian, when Waseem Ahmad Khanday, a relative of former Member Legislative Council (MLC) Abdul Rehman Tukroo, snatched the rifle of his PSO. Khanday took away the rifle and 30 rounds from the PSO at around 5 am.

“He (Khanday) was at my house and this morning he took away the rifle of my PSO and fled. At the time of the incident, I was in a washroom,” Tukroo said.

A senior police officer said Khanday was suspected to have joined militant ranks and was staying at Tukroo’s house for the past five days.

This is the fourth incident of weapon-snatching in south Kashmir this month. On September 19, militants snatched four rifles from the policemen guarding 

the house of PDP leader Javid Ahmad Sheikh in Dialgam Anantnag.

A day after the killing of Burhan, a mob had looted 41 weapons, including AK-47 rifles, INSAS rifles, one light machine gun and dozens of magazines and ammunition, after setting ablaze the Damhal Hanjipore police station in Kulgam.  Later, the police recovered 35 weapons. Most of which had been damaged in the blaze.

A senior police officer said in the majority of the cases, the weapons ended up with either Hizbul Mujahideen or Lashkar-e-Toiba.

“During the snatching incidents, militants also accompanied the new recruits who were given these weapons,” the police officer said. “These new recruits are later given training locally.”

The counter-insurgency operations across the Valley have taken a hit due to the unrest and it has helped the militants to consolidate, especially in south Kashmir.

Gunning for rifles

• July 9: 41 weapons looted after a police station was set ablaze in south Kashmir. Six weapon still missing
• September 1: Four rifles were taken away by militants from PDP MP Nazir Laway’s house in Kulgam after his outhouse was set ablaze on September 1. The four policemen guarding the residence were later arrested for dereliction of duty
• September 8: A group of militants stole four rifles from the guardroom of former National Conference leader Abdul Rashid Khanday in Begom Kulgam
• September 19: Militants snatched four rifles from policemen guarding the house of a ruling Peoples Democratic Party leader Javid Ahmad Sheikh in Dialgam Anantnag