An Army man hailing from volatile Pulwama district has deserted his base in north Kashmir and decamped with a rifle and few magazines on Wednesday night.
Sepoy Zahoor Ahmed Tokar of Sirnoo, Pulwama, who was posted in 173 Territorial Army (TA) regiment at Gantmulla Baramulla, went missing along with an AK rifle and three magazines on Tuesday night, police said.
A massive hunt has been launched by the forces to trace the absconding soldier and an alert has also been sounded across the Valley.
“There are apprehension that Tokar may have joined militancy,” a police officer said, adding that investigations have started in the case. Police teams also visited the home of Tokar and inquired from the family about him. “His mobile is switched off,” the officer added.
And if the apprehension turn out to be true, the deserted soldier would be the first Kashmiri Army man to have joined terrorist ranks since inception of insurgency in the region.
In past, there have been instances where policemen have joined terrorist ranks. In May this year, constable Syed Naveed of Shopian, had decamped with four rifles, from the guard post in Budgam and later joined terrorist ranks.
In past five years at least five cops have joined militancy in Kashmir and most prominent among them was Naseer Pandith who was killed in 2016. Pandit, was posted as a security guard to the Minister and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Altaf Bukahri and decamped with two AK-47 rifles and joined terrorist outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
In 2012, a J&K Police constable, Abdul Rashid Shigan, was arrested for allegedly carrying out 13 major attacks in Srinagar which included the killing of a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police and an assassination attempt on then Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar.
Meanwhile, Kashmir has been put on a high alert ahead of death anniversary of terrorist commander Burhan Wani. Kashmiri separatists and United Jehad Council have called for two day shutdown on July 8 and 13.