On September 14, the J&K police recovered three more AK-47 rifles along with a large cache of ammunition near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Mandi area of Poonch district. This brings the total number of rifles seized in the district over the past two weeks to seven.
According to officials, the latest recovery came as a result of information obtained during the interrogation of three arrested Army porters. The porters, Tariq Sheikh from Azamabad, and Riyaz Ahmad and Mohammad Shafi from Chamber Kinari village, all in their 20s, are accused of assisting the Hizbul Mujahideen in smuggling weapons across the border.
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Fantastic investigation by JKP.Dogged determination and relentless investigation leads to the arrest of 03 terror sympathisers, along with the recovery of 07 AKs (04 recovered earlier) and a large quantity of warlike stores in Poonch.@JmuKmrPolice pic.twitter.com/WcdjsqwBOl
— Jammu Zone Police (@igp_jammu) September 14, 2025
Nearly two weeks ago, the J&K police had already recovered four AK-47 rifles and ammunition from two separate locations in Poonch district. Additionally, a significant cache of arms and ammunition was seized during a search operation in Kupwara district on August 27. That recovery included 22 grenades, an under-barrel grenade launcher, 15 AK-47 rounds, and half a kilogram of a black powdered substance suspected to be an explosive.
On August 30, Tariq Sheikh and Riyaz Ahmad were apprehended after two rifles were recovered in Azamabad. Subsequent interrogation led authorities to Sheikh’s rented accommodation in Mandi Jallian, where two more rifles were discovered. This development eventually led to the arrest of the third accused, Mohammad Shafi.
On September 14, security forces conducted another search operation near the barbed wire fence in the Sawjian area, resulting in the recovery of three AK-47 rifles and seven magazines. According to officials, the arrested porters had already successfully smuggled in two consignments of weapons before being caught while attempting to transport a third. Sources revealed that Pakistani handlers have been dropping arms consignments near the border fence, where local sympathisers are tasked with retrieving them.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu, Bhimsen Tuti, commended the police team for their swift and effective action. In a post on X, he wrote, “Dogged determination and relentless investigation led to the arrest of three terror sympathisers, along with the recovery of seven AKs and a large quantity of warlike stores in Poonch.” Police believe the recent seizures have delivered a significant setback to Hizbul Mujahideen’s efforts to regroup in the region.
The arrested individuals were reportedly working under the direction of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Habibullah, who crossed into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the 1990s. According to officials, he has recently resurfaced and is attempting to revive the militant group’s network in the Poonch area.
