Burqa-clad militants loot J&K bank

Cash-starved terrorists disguised as women stormed the branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank at Arwani village in south Kashmir's Anantnag district and looted Rs 5.2 lakh at gunpoint, before making an escape.

The incident occurred in the afternoon when two burqa-clad terrorists armed with automatic weapons barged into the bank and asked the staff to raise their hands and hand over the cash.

One of the burqa-clad militants then took away the cash. Minutes later, a masked man, who was standing guard outside the branch, also joined the robbers, before all three escaped from the spot.

The robbery was caught on the CCTV camera installed inside the branch. The police said that Hizbul Mujahideen was behind the heist as they have been facing an acute cash crunch post demonetisation.

"Hizbul Mujhadeen militants barged into the J&K Bank branch in Arwani in the afternoon and looted about Rs 5.2 lakh. The police have registered a case and investigations are on. During the initial investigation and with the help of CCTV footage, it was found that Hizbul Mujahideen militants are involved in this crime. Efforts are on to nab the culprits," said a police spokesman.

The fresh robbery has come three months after several banks shifted the cash deposit and withdrawal departments of vulnerable branches to relatively safer areas in the restive south Kashmir region.

Figures reveal that around 10 banks have been looted since demonetisation was announced in November last year. These include four in Pulwama, two in Shopian, two in Kulgam, and one each in Budgam and Kishtwar. Terrorists looted three banks, disarmed five cops and killed seven men before decamping with nine rifles in south Kashmir in the first week of May alone.

On May 1 militants attacked a Jammu and Kashmir Bank cash van and killed seven people including five cops and two private guards besides looting four Self Loading Riffles (SLRs) at Pumai village of South Kashmir's Kulgam district.

Police sources said demonetisation has hit militants and their over-ground workers hard and they have suddenly faced the cash crunch in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said the militants require huge money to pay their cadres, buying logistics including smart phones, SIM cards and paying for transport and other faclities.