Srinagar: The recent recovery of a Steyr AUG – an Austrian-made bullpup assault rifle from the possession of slain terrorists in the Keran sector of frontier Kupwara district in north Kashmir has raised concerns among defense circles, as preliminary investigations suggest the weapon may have reached the region from Afghanistan.
On July 18, the army said, two foreign terrorists were killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran and besides other arms and ammunition, for the first time in Kashmir's terror history, a Steyr AUG, an Austrian-made bullpup assault rifle was recovered.
The Austria Armed Forces (AAF) have a storied history of participation in NATO-led operations, including several missions in Afghanistan. Austria had deployed soldiers to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from 2002 to 2014.
In August 2021, when NATO forces, spearheaded by the US, executed a rapid and tumultuous withdrawal from Kabul, a substantial cache of sophisticated weaponry and military equipment fell into the hands of various non-state actors and militant groups.
The assault rifle recovered in Keran is believed to be part of this abandoned arsenal. Security experts are now piecing together the weapon's journey from Kabul to the restive region of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The recovery of sophisticated weapons highlights the potential dangers posed by the unaccounted military hardware left in Afghanistan. In the last one year, terrorists have been found using American-made M4 carbine assault rifles and a few were recovered from the possession of slain ultras,” a senior police officer told DH.
He said security agencies are particularly concerned about the proliferation of such advanced weaponry in the region.
“The presence of US-made M4 carbine and Austria-manufactured assault rifle in Kupwara indicates that militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir may have established new supply lines, potentially facilitated by international arms traffickers exploiting the chaotic aftermath of the Afghan conflict,” the officer said.
Sources said the recovery of sophisticated weapons has prompted a multi-agency investigation aimed at uncovering the network responsible for its smuggling. “Security forces are intensifying their efforts to track and intercept similar arms to prevent further escalation of violence in the already volatile region,” they said.
The first assault rifle recovered from terrorists in Kashmir was on September 12, 1988. On that day, terrorists attacked the house of then Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ali Mohammad Watali in the upscale Raj Bagh locality of Srinagar.
A terrorist named Aijaz Dar, a resident of the nearby Jawahar Nagar area, was killed by the guards in retaliatory firing, and the first AK-47 assault rifle was recovered from him.