The 84-km long-Mughal road, frequented by Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb to reach Kashmir valley, is now being used as an alternate route by the newly recruited terrorists to smuggle ‘’looted’ weapons to Kashmir valley.

In the wee hours of Monday a joint team of security forces captured two newly recruited militants after they opened fire on security forces near Thannamandi security check post in frontier Rajouri district.

The militants were escaping along with the ‘looted’ weapons from one of the barracks of State police guards deployed at Shahadra Sharief shrine.

The new strategy was ‘possibly’ adopted by the militant handlers after several failed attempts to snatch weapons from the armed security guards in different parts of kashmir valley.

According to initial reports the militants looted the weapons when the security guards were offering prayers in the Shahadra Sharief shrine.

Security forces also recovered an INSAS rifle, three magazines and 49 live cartridges from the spot.

SSP Rajouri Yougal Manhas while addressing a press conference in Rajouri told reporters, “ a joint team of the security forces were checking vehicles at the check-post near Thannamandi in the wee hours of Monday when the two men, riding a motorcycle, were signalled to stop. Instead of stopping at the check post they tried to escape taking advantage of the darkness”.

SSP said, while escaping they even abandoned their motorcycle at some distance and fired at least two rounds of fire on the security personnel, who were chasing them.

According to SSP Rajouri, Yougal Manhas, the weapons were stolen by the duo from a police barrack at Shahadra Sharief shrine in Rajouri.

Manhas said the two militants identified as Mukhtar Ahmed of Zainapura and Aijaz Ahmed Parray of Chitragama in Shopian, came via Shopian to loot weapons from security forces.

As per preliminary investigations the duo had done recce of the area. SSP Rajouri also claimed they were in constant touch with self-styled Hizbul commander Zeenat-ul-Islam, active in South Kashmir.

A case has been registered against them under Ranbir Penal Code, arms act and unlawful activities act at Thannamandi police station. Meanwhile, district police has also initiated action against the policeman whose INSAS rifle was looted by the militants.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Tuesday, 12 June 2018 | Mohit Kandhari | Jammu