JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir police is procuring 4,000 weapons safety systems to counter the menace of weapon snatching by militants in the restive state.
State police has already floated tenders for purchase of 4,000 weapons safety systems called smart electronic trigger lock weapon tracking system (SETLWTS).
The specifications sought by the tender said the weapons safety systems must have trigger-based locking units with GPS trackers so that a missing weapon is quickly tracked.
The weapons safety system would have to be compatible with firearms so that they can be removed only through the biometrics of the authorised handler.
Weapon-snatching incidents have not been restricted to any specific district in the Valley, but since the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam recorded a surge in militant activities during the last four years, weapon snatching became more of a problem for the state police in these districts than in other parts of the Valley.
Sources said over 200 weapons including AK-47 rifles, SLRs (self-loading rifles) and INSAS rifles were snatched by militants in the last three years.
Police officers say that shortage of weapons among militant outfits is the prime reason for the weapon-snatching incidents going up during the last four years.
"Besides shortage of weapons, the militant outfits also test their recruits by asking them to snatch weapons from the security forces before they are allowed entry into the outfit.
"Once they snatch a weapon from a security force personnel, it is just a one-way road for militant recruits thereafter.
"They cannot expect any mercy from the security forces after they snatch a weapon and kill or injure securitymen from whom weapons are snatched," said a senior police officer.