J&K: Armed militants loot 2 banks in 2 hours, decamp with lakhs

Srinagar: Suspected militants on Wednesday targeted two banks in south Kashmir's Pulwama district within a span of two hours and decamped with several lakh rupees.

In the first case, four armed militants entered the Wahibugh branch of Elaquai Dehati Bank around 1.50 pm and looted around Rs 3-4 lakh at gunpoint before fleeing, a police official said.

A police team rushed to the scene after the bank employees informed them of the incident. A hunt was launched to arrest the robbers and recover the money, the official said.

The second robbery took place at the Nehama branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Pulwama around 3.20 pm, the official said.

A police team has rushed to the spot and the exact amount of cash looted by the armed militants is being ascertained.

Militants have struck at bank assets four times in the past three days in south Kashmir.

On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen barged into Yaripora branch of the Elaquai Dehati Bank that was struck today and took away Rs 65,000.

On May 1, militants attacked a cash van of the Jammu and Kashmir bank, targeted today as well, and shot dead five policemen and two bank security guards in Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir.

The policemen and security guards were returning to the district headquarters after delivering cash at a bank branch.

The ultras had taken away four service rifles of the deceased cops.