New Delhi: Security forces on Monday recovered an AK-47 rifle, pistol, grenade and ammunition after locating a suspected terror hideout during a joint search operation in Shopian district of Jammu & Kashmir. The operation was carried out by J&K Police, 44 Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Naikpora Memender area following specific intelligence inputs.
Acting on the information, the joint team launched searches in an orchard in the area. During the operation, personnel located a concealed hideout from which the weapons and ammunition were recovered, according to officials.
The cache included one AK-47 rifle, two AK-47 magazines and 60 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Security forces also recovered one pistol, six rounds of 9mm ammunition and one grenade. The exact ownership of the weapons has not been established publicly.
Officials said a further investigation had been launched to determine where the recovered weapons came from and what they were intended to be used for. No terrorist organization or individual has so far been officially linked to the recovered cache, and authorities have not said that the weapons were connected to any specific planned attack.
The recovery followed intelligence inputs that led security forces to search the orchard area in Naikpora Memender. No additional operational details about how long the weapons had been concealed or who may have placed them there have been made public.
The investigation is also expected to examine the circumstances in which the arms and ammunition reached the location, officials said. The operation involved personnel from the police, army and CRPF, reflecting the joint security deployment used for intelligence-led searches in the district.
Officials have not announced any arrest in connection with the cache in the information made public so far. The weapons and ammunition have been taken into custody for further examination as investigators continue efforts to establish their origin and intended use. Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.