A Special Police Officer has gone missing with a service rifle from the Pampore police station in Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday, reported GNS. Irfan Ahmad Dar of Nihama in Pulwama reportedly fled with an AK-47 rifle and ammunition.
The Hizbul Mujahideen on Wednesday claimed that the officer has joined the militant outfit. In a statement to Kashmir News Service, Field Operational Commander Mohammad Bin Qasim confirmed that Dar had joined the militant outfit.
“We appeal to all Jammu and Kashmir Police cadres to give up their job and join Hizbul Mujahideen to give a push to the resistance struggle,” Qasim said.
Earlier, the police had said that a joint team of Army and a Special Operations Group was searching for Dar. “We have contacted his family and we are confirming if he has fled with his rifle or not,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (Awantipora) Zahid Malik, according to Greater Kashmir.
This comes more than a week after a rifleman, Aurangzeb, was killed by militants after he was abducted from south Kashmir’s Shopian district on June 13.
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