Jammu and Kashmir: Army jawan absconds from Baramulla camp with AK-47, search operation on

A jawan of 173 Battalion of Territorial Army went missing along with his AK-47 service rifle from his Gantmulla unit in Baramulla district, north Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.

J&K: Territorial Army jawan Zahoor Thakur missing with a AK-47 from his camp in Baramulla's Gantmulla, Police has begun an investigation. pic.twitter.com/RMg928TNeF

— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2017

Zahoor Ahmad Thoker, a resident of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, was reported absconding since Wednesday night by the army unit located in Gantmulla area of Baramulla, officials said.

Thoker’s service rifle and three magazines were also missing.

According to Hindustan Times  the jawan has absconded with  a service rifle and ammunition from an installation in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. A search operation has been launched and security forces are on high alert.

While officials fear the jawan could have joined militant ranks, a report in the  The Hindu  says this is speculative.

This is the first time the army has faced such a case. However, in the past one year there were several instances where policemen decamped with service rifles and joined militancy in south Kashmir, according to the report in The Hindu.