Srinagar/New Delhi: With a sudden spurt in incidents of weapon snatching by militants in the Kashmir valley, Jammu and Kashmir police has decided to install computer chips in firearms so these can be traced.
A proposal in this regard was sent by the army, which offered its help in installing computer chips in the weapons, official sources said.
Director General (Law and Order and Coordination) S P Vaid held a meeting with senior officials of South Kashmir recently where the spate of incidents of weapon snatching was discussed. According to sources, Vaid, who will be taking over as Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police on January one, gave clear instructions that anyone attempting to snatch the weapons from police personnel should be dealt with firmly and, if need be, fire should be opened at them.
Hizbul Mujahideen terror group, which has been recruiting local youths on a large scale, has been engaging in such incidents in the last few months.
As per estimates, nearly 100 firearms have been looted from security forces during the ongoing unrest in the valley which began on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed.
The weapons snatched from police personnel in 14 such incidents in the last three months included AK-47 assault rifles, INSAS, carbines, Self-Loading Rifles and 303 rifles.
The army has expressed serious displeasure over the rising incidents of weapon snatching in the valley and asked the police force to strengthen itself to foil such attempts.