Soldier goes missing in J&K, search on

A soldier went missing with his service weapon on Thursday from Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district and investigations are on to ascertain if he has joined the militants' ranks, police said,

Zahoor Ahmad Thakur, with the Territorial Army's 173 Bn, was reported missing from his camp in Gantmulla area along with an AK-47 rifle.

"Thakur belongs to Pulwama district. A search operation has been launched," police sources said here.

Police also said it was to be investigated if the soldier had joined the militant ranks or not.

"An FIR has been registered in this case and unless investigations are completed, saying anything would be presumptuous," a senior police officer said here.

Another senior police officer noted that during last six months, nine local policemen had deserted duties along with their weapons and joined the militants.

Some of these have been killed in gunfights with the security forces.

Militants, especially in south Kashmir, have attacked over half a dozen police posts during the last one year and decamped with over two dozen weapons.

--IANS

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