4 weapons looted from policemen guarding temple in Kashmir

Srinagar: Militants attacked policemen guarding a temple and decamped with four automatic weapons in central Kashmir district of Badgam, where a constable went missing along with his service weapon on Tuesday night.

A police spokesman said here Thursday morning that a group of militants attacked a guard post of 13 Batallion Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP) at Goripora Hyderpora in Badgam district. Militants decamped with four weapons of police guard, he said. No damage was caused to temple, they said, adding it was not immediately know if there was any resistance from the police guards.

Police has registered a case, they said adding that security forces have been rushed and entire area has been cordoned off. Security forces have also established nakas in nearby areas to nab the militants responsible for the attack.

Official sources said militants decamped with two Self Loading Rifles (SLR), one INSAS and one carbine. This was first such incident in the district this year. However, in February this year, militants killed a police constable of 13 batallion JKAP Kultar Singh posted at Charar-e-Sharief and looted his rifle.

About a dozen rifles were looted in similar attacks in south Kashmir last year.However, police arrested three youths who were tasked to kill a policeman and loot his weapon in south Kashmir, where a political activist was killed by gunmen yesterday afternoon. One pistol was recovered from the arrested youths.

On Tuesday night a police constable Tariq Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Shopian, went missing from Pakherpora in Badgam where he was posted.(UNI)