(Repeating with correction)

Jammu, Feb 16 (UNI) Militants have been procuring ''fake identity cards and mobile SIM cards'' in the names of army personnel, an army spokesman said today.

''There is a racket operating in Kashmir through which militants receive mobile SIM cards on the name of army officials, who even don't exist,'' army spokesman Lt Col A K Mathur told UNI.

Besides SIM cards militants also receive fake identity cards in the names of army officials. This is posing a great threat to national security, he said.

The army blamed the moblie operators for not verifying the authenticity of card holders from the concerned issuing authority before providing connections.

''A run for selling more (SIM) cards may cost the security dear,'' he said and appealed to the distributors to duly confirm from the authorities before allotting any new mobile number.

At least 66 pre-paid SIM cards of telecom major Airtel were reportedly issued to militants on the basis of fake documents of army officials procured by over ground workers (OGWs) of insurgents in the valley.

The number of ''such fake cases'' could go up as investigations were at preliminary stage, sources said.

However, the intelligence sources, who had seized many fictitious forms, said the SIMs issued on fake documents had landed into the hands of top commanders of various militant outfits operating in the state.

UNI