Srinagar: The recent recovery of a Steyr AUG, an Austrian-made bullpup assault rifle, from the possession of slain terrorists in Keran sector of border Kupwara district in North Kashmir has raised concerns in defence circles as preliminary investigations suggest that the weapon may have reached the region from Afghanistan.

On July 18, two foreign terrorists were killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran, according to the army. Besides other arms and ammunition, a Steyr AUG, an Austrian-made bullpup assault rifle, was also recovered for the first time in Kashmir’s history of terror.

The Austrian Armed Forces (AAF) have a distinguished history of participation in NATO-led operations, including several missions in Afghanistan. Austria deployed soldiers to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from 2002 to 2014.

In August 2021, as US-led NATO forces withdrew rapidly and violently from Kabul, a significant amount of advanced weapons 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 working to piece together the weapon’s journey from Kabul to the troubled Jammu and Kashmir region.

“The discovery of advanced weapons highlights the potential dangers posed by undetected military equipment in Afghanistan. Over the past year, terrorists have been found with US M4 carbine assault rifles and a few have been recovered from dead ultras,” a senior police official said. DH.

He said security services are particularly concerned about the proliferation of such advanced weapons in the region.

“The presence of a US-made M4 carbine and an Austrian-made assault rifle in Kupwara indicates that militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir may have established new supply lines, possibly facilitated by international arms dealers exploiting the chaotic aftermath of the Afghan conflict,” the officer said.

Sources said the discovery of advanced weapons has prompted a multi-agency investigation aimed at uncovering the network responsible for the smuggling. “Security services are intensifying their efforts to trace and intercept similar weapons 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, when terrorists attacked the house of then Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ali Mohammad Watali in Srinagar’s posh Raj Bagh neighbourhood.

A terrorist named Aijaz Dar, a resident of nearby Jawahar Nagar area, was killed by the guards in a counterattack. The first AK-47 assault rifle was seized from him.