Implications of recovery of Austrian-made assault rifle "Steyr AUG" from terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir
On 17 July 2024, two foreign terrorists were killed by the Army while thwarting an infiltration attempt across the Line of Control in Keran sector. Steyr AUG assault rifle recovered from the slain terrorists
The recovery of an Austrian-made assault rifle from two foreign terrorists killed in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir on 18 July has added a new and complex dimension to the ongoing terrorism in the Union Territory.
The first weapon recovered from a terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir was on 12 September 1988, when terrorists attacked the house of then Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ali Mohammad Watali in Raj Bagh Residential area of Srinagar city.
A terrorist named Aijaz Dar, resident of nearby Jawahar Nagar area, was killed in retaliatory firing by security personnel outside the DIG's house and an assault rifle was recovered from him. Another senior police officer, Shaikh Owais, was the Srinagar Superintendent of Police (SP) at that time. Mr. Owais also lived in the same area and was one of the first senior officers to arrive at the DIG's residence.
The weapon was not in police service and was not a standard weapon of the army at the time. A meeting of experts convened by the army identified the weapon as a Kalashnikov.
It belonged to the family of assault rifles, also known as the AK platform, AK rifle, or simply AK, based on an original design by Mikhail Kalashnikov. Experts identified the rifle as an AK-47, formally known as Avtomat Kalashnikova, the original weapon of the Kalashnikov rifle family.
It was developed in the Soviet Union in the mid-20th century by Russian small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov.
"The name AK-47 stands for Automat Kalashnikova 1947, the year it was first produced. In 1949, the AK-47 became the assault rifle of the Soviet army," the officer said.
Over the years, since 1988, terrorists have begun to use long-range sniper rifles and successor versions of the AK series rifles, such as the AK-54 and AK-74. The years of production of these rifles are indicated, and they have improvements on the original AK-47 version.
Jammu and Kashmir police had not been issued AK series assault rifles till then. To counter enemy firepower, police, paramilitary and army were issued AK series assault rifles later on in addition to Indian made INSAS rifles.
"Possession of AK assault rifles by terrorists proved beyond doubt that they were trained and armed by Pakistani army instructors. Due to Russian presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan's support to Afghan militias, there was virtually no border between the two countries at that time and Pakistan had a large stock of AK rifles," said a senior intelligence official.
As terrorism intensified with the infiltration of foreign mercenaries into Jammu and Kashmir in the mid-1990s, terrorists increasingly used improvised weapons such as AK-54s, AK-74s and under-barrel grenade launchers.
Because the foreign mercenaries were battle-hardened, security forces have had to meet the growing challenge by incorporating semi-special forces and soldiers trained in mountain warfare into their counterterrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir. "Jammu and Kashmir Police has also undergone major changes in the training of its special forces. They are equipped with modern assault rifles, are proficient in their use and undergo intensive training to develop stamina and concentration. A commitment to eradicate terrorism and establish peace was the preamble to this training," said a senior police official who oversees the physical and weapons training of the local police force.
