Missing SPO joins militant ranks, escapes Budgam gunfight
The SPO had decamped with two AK-47 rifles, his accomplice was arrested
Special police officer (SPO) Altaf Hussain, who had gone missing with arms and ammunition from central Kashmir’s Budgam on Tuesday, has joined militant ranks.
He managed to escape during an encounter with security forces in Chadoora on Friday. However, his accomplice, Jehangir Bhat, was captured.
Inspector general of police Vijay Kumar said the SPO had decamped with two AK-47 rifles with his friend Jehangir Bhat a ‘famous stone-pelter’. “Acting on specific inputs, police, army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel laid a cordon and a gunfight ensued. The SPO managed to escape but his associate was captured,” Kumar said.
The army’s Chinar Corps said a terrorist fired at the team conducting a search at a mobile vehicle check post in Chadoora, after which the area was cordoned. “Extensive search was carried out and a terrorist was apprehended with one AK rifle,” it said in a tweet.
Kumar said the AK-47 rifle and a magazine recovered from Bhat were the same ones the policeman had escaped with. Bhat had emptied the magazine.
Commending the security forces, Kumar said, “We had been convincing the duo’s parents to call them back. Now only legal action will be taken against them. If our people had not shown restraint, Jehangir would have been killed. Our forces set an example.”
Kumar also requested his fugitive police colleague to return. “I also request our SPO to come back. Only legal action will be taken and his life will be saved,” he said.
This is second time that a militant has been captured alive during an encounter this month.
On October 10, two militants including a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander were killed in Dadoora area of Pulwama. During the search operation, a militant was captured alive. He was later identified as a resident of Doda area of Jammu.