Gunmen loot cash from J&K bank in south Kashmir

Srinagar, Jul 31 : A group of unidentified gunmen looted over Rs 5 lakh cash from a Jammu and Kahmir Bank branch in south Kashmir district of Anantnag, official sources said. They said immediately after the bank reopened at Arwani, Bijbehara, in Anantnag district, a group of gunmen forced their entry into the bank. The gunmen after threatening the bank staff and some customers, looted cash over Rs 5 lakhs. Security forces and state police reached the spot but the gunmen had managed to escape, they said, adding a massive hunt has been launched to nab the looters. During the past over six months, bank and Automatic Teller Machine robbery has witnessed a sudden increase in south Kashmir. Though militant outfits have denied any role in the bank and ATM robbery, police believed that Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen are responsible for these robberies. UNI