J&K Police issues advisories to its units on weapon snatching

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued fresh advisories to its force in this region to prevent incidents of weapon snatching by militants and anti-national elements.

"We have sent fresh advisories to our police force that such incidents should not take place. The guidelines have been issued with regard to the measures to be taken by the cops to prevent weapon snatching by militants and anti-national elements," Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, S D Singh Jamwal told reporters here on Wednesday.

The advisory comes after four persons allegedly attacked the personal security officer of a cleric in the city last week and decamped with his AK-47 rifle. All the four have been arrested by the police.

Asserting that such incidents are a matter of concern, Jamwal said he has got assurances from his personnel that they will not be repeated.

To a question as why the youths from Kashmir chose Jammu to snatch the weapon from the police officer on March 25, the first such incident in the city, the IGP said, "They thought the security alert is not as high here as in the Kashmir Valley."

Around 66 weapons, including 17 AK-47 rifles, and over 7,000 rounds of ammunition were taken away from the police personnel by militants and mobs in Kashmir Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year.

As per the figures of the state Home Ministry, 66 weapons 17 AK rifles, 23 SLR rifles, 14 INSAS rifles, 6 pistols, one .303 rifle, one carbine, 3 UBGL thrower and one Taser gun were looted by militants and other suspects from the mobs after attacking police stations and the personnel.

Similarly, 196 magazines of various types of weapons during the period were also snatched, it said.