Armyman deserts his unit along with rifle and ammunition

There are apprehensions Zahoor may have joined militant ranks

A Kashmiri armyman posted in Baramulla district deserted his unit along with arms and ammunition on Tuesday night.
Sepoy Zahoor Ahmed Tokar of Sirnoo, Pulwama, who was posted in 173 Territorial Army Engineering regiment at Gantmulla Baramulla, fled with an AK rifle and three magazines.
Sources said there were apprehensions that Zahoor might have joined militant ranks.
“We have put security apparatus on alert as the TA man has good knowledge of the security system and units deployed in the Valley,” sources said.
In recent past, there have been a few instances were policemen have joined militant ranks.
In May, Constable Syed Naveed Mushtaq, a resident of militancy-infested Shopian district, had fled with four INSAS rifles, including his own rifle, from the guard post at the Food Corporation of India godown at Chondpora in Budgam and later joined militant ranks.
In the past five years, police said at least five cops had joined militant ranks in Kashmir; the most prominent among them was constable Naseer Pandit from Pulwama. He joined Hizbul Mujahideen and was a close aide of Burhan Wani. He was later killed in a gunfight in 2016.