J&K: SPO decamps with 9 service rifles, including seven AK-47s

Srinagar, Sep 29: Amidst the threat issued by the Hizbul Mujahideen to the police personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, a special police officer decamped with nine service weapons of his colleagues.

The SPO, Adil Bashir decamped with the service weapons which included seven AK-47 riles, one INSAS and a pistol from the guard room at J-11, government quarters Jawahar Nagar. A cash reward of Rs 2 lakh has been announced for the capture of the SPO along with the weapons.

The residential quarter belongs to MLA Wachi, Aijaz Mir where the SPO stole the weapons. "Adil Bashir Sheikh, 24, (Belt No. 488/SPO) originally belongs to Zainpora, Shopian district. A case has been registered in addition to the departmental inquiry.

Bashir was engaged as an SPO on March 11 2017. A high alert has been issued.

The incident comes just days after the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists abducted and killed three SPOs. The outfit had given the police, especially the SPOs four days time to resign failing which they would be killed and their families targeted.

The SPOs form a crucial part of the rung of the J&K police. They are instrumental in gathering ground level intelligence. In recent times it was the concrete information supplied by the SPOs which led to the targeted killing of top commanders of various terror groups. Intelligence Bureau sources tell OneIndia that this is the precise reason why the Hizbul Mujahideen has decided to target them.