Militants attack PDP Minister’s residence in Kashmir, snatch 4 weapons from cops

Militants reportedly fired towards a police post at ancestral house of MoS Hajj and Auaqaf Farooq Andrabi at Shishtergam village of Dooru in South Kashmir’s Antnang district late last evening.
For representational purpose
For representational purpose

SRINAGAR: In yet another weapon snatching incident, militants snatched at least four rifles from policemen guarding the residence of senior PDP leader and MoS for Hajj and Auqaf Farooq Andrabi by attacking them late last evening. Two policemen were injured in the militant attack.

A police officer said militants fired from automatic weapons towards a police post at ancestral house of MoS Hajj and Auaqaf Farooq Andrabi at Shishtergam village of Dooru in South Kashmir’s Antnang district late last evening.

He said the militants heavily fired on the policemen deployed in the post.  

Two policemen sustained bullet injuries in the militant attack, the officer said.

He said before fleeing from the spot, militants decamped with 4 SLR rifles and some other ammunition from the police post.

The injured policemen were referred to army hospital in Srinagar, where condition of one of them has been termed as life threatening.

Immediately after the militant attack, police, paramilitary CRPF and army men launched a massive combing and search operation in the area to nab the militants responsible for the attack. However, no arrests took place during the operation.

The Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the weapon snatching.

Hizb operational spokesperson, Burhan-ud-din said militants of the outfit attacked the police post at minister’s residence and decamped with four rifles.

He said after carrying out the attack, militants reached their hide-outs safely.

The militants had last year also attacked residences of two PDP leaders and snatched weapons from their security guards.

The residences of PDP Rajya Sabha MP Nazir Ahmad Laway at Chawalgam in Kulgam district and PDP leader Sheikh Javed Ahmad at Boni Dialgam in Anantnag district were attacked on August 31 on September 18 last year respectively. At both the places, militants snatched four rifles each from the policemen.

According to J&K’s Home department, at least 62 rifles, six pistols and 182 magazines were looted by militants and unruly mobs from security personnel in Kashmir last year.

16 incidents of weapon snatching/looting took place in the Valley between January 1 and December 31 last year, reveals the data.

Of the 16 weapon snatching incidents, 13 took place in four south Kashmir districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian while two incidents took place in central Kashmir’s Budgam district and a single incident took place in Srinagar.

Of the 62 weapons snatched, 19 were AK-rifles, 22 SLRs, 18 Insas rifles, a carbine, .303 rifle and Pika gun, the State home department has revealed.

Besides, six pistols and a Tasar gun were also snatched from the security personnel or police stations.

The data further reveals that 12 AK magazines, 34 magazines of SLRS, 131 magazines of Insas and four carbine magazines were also snatched from the security personnel by the militants and unruly crowds last year.

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