Alert sentry foil rifle snatching attempt in Anantnag

Anantnag, May 25 : Alert sentry foiled a militant attempt to snatch his rifle in this south Kashmir district on Friday, official sources said.

The rifle snatching attempt was foiled a day after a senior police officer directed that no sentry will be allowed to use smart phone during duty in Jammu and Kashmir.

Official source said a sentry opened fire when he saw a group of militants approaching his post at Wanpoh power grid station. Sensing that militants were approaching to loot his weapons, the sentry fired some shots forcing militants to flee, source said, adding the area was immediately cordoned off to nab the militants.

During the past 15 days, eight automatic weapons were snatched in Srinagar. Four rifles were snatched from a police post near a place of worship at Hyderpora and rifle from a guard at Kashmir University was looted while a guard decamped with three rifles from a hotel at Dalgate.

Concerned over these incidents all senior police officers were directed to ensure that no sentry will use smart phone during duty hours and guards have been asked to wear bulletproof gear and chain their weapons with their belts.